A Q&
with Charlotte Mecklenburg Library CEO and Chief Librarian
Marcellus Turner Tatiana Akhmetgalieva / shutterstock.com
By Valerie Hubbard
CEO and Chief Librarian of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, Marcellus Turner
M
arcellus Turner, or “MT” as he prefers, celebrated his first-year anniversary last month as the new CEO and chief librarian of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library system. Turner, originally from the Jackson, Mississippi area, earned a bachelor’s degree from Mississippi University for Women (a co-ed university) and later a master’s degree in library science from the University of Tennessee. As his first-year anniversary approached, we talked with Turner, an avid reader since childhood, to learn about his passion for helping libraries and communities thrive. We asked him about his momentous career and some of his goals to help Charlotte Mecklenburg libraries excel. When and how were you attracted to the field of library science? I started working in libraries in the fourth grade, so it probably started there; though I never thought of it as a profession at the time.
When did you decide on it as a profession? I went to graduate school at the University of Tennessee to study speech pathology and audiology. I had a couple of housemates who were library science majors. I had the only car, so I ended up driving them to and from school from time to time. I started looking at what they were doing and realized I might want to do the same thing. So, I got my master’s degree in library science from the University of Tennessee in 1988. Afterward, I worked in academic libraries for six years. I then switched to public libraries. It’s exciting work. I’ve really enjoyed it. Now, it has been about 34 years. During your career, you’ve worked in libraries across the United States. Beginning in 2011, you spent nearly 10 years as executive director and chief librarian of Seattle’s Public Library (SPL) system, and the SPL won a Public Library of the Year award in 2020. After such a major accomplishment,
what inspired you to leave Seattle to come here? One, I wanted to live in a different place for a while. I like moving around geographically, and I hadn’t lived in the South in a long time. So, I wanted to do so again. Also, because Charlotte Mecklenburg Library was a leading library system many years ago. They were still doing great things, but I don’t think people realized that, so I was happy to come here and try to amplify some of the great work they are doing. What are some of your plans for Charlotte’s libraries? We have several projects going on now. First, we’re opening a new main library in Uptown, and we’re turning the building around so the main entrance will be on Tryon, to make it more easily accessible. The project was well underway when I joined the system and is tentatively scheduled to open in fall 2025. Plus, we’re opening new libraries in Pineville and University City.
May-June 2022 | Pride Magazine
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