St. Paul's library director is one of two finalists for a similar position in South Carolina.
Melanie Huggins, who arrived in St. Paul in 2006, has an interview in March for director of the Richland County Public Library. Based in her hometown of Columbia, the library system was where she started her career. She was approached for the post, and the hometown connection compelled her to apply.
"It's a peach of a job. I wasn't thinking about leaving, and I still don't know that I am," she said. "I was torn about even putting my name in the hat."
Richland County has 11 library locations and a budget of about $27 million. The St. Paul library system's budget is about $20 million. It has 13 locations, although one, Hamline, could be closed because of budget cuts.
CHRIS HAVENS
