Howard Holman and State Librarian Julie Walker
Howard Holman may have retired from his salary-paying position, but he’s far from retiring from volunteering in the community, and it’s that volunteering spirit that earned him special recognition last Friday afternoon.
Julie Walker, State Librarian of Georgia, was on-hand to present Holman with the 2024 Georgia Library Champion of the Year award.
“This is the 10th year that our state has presented library awards, and your library system has the most awards,” Walker said. “In 2021, Sen. Blake Tillery was the Library Champion of the Year, and I 2022, your Director Cameron Asbell was the Library Director of the Year, and in 2024, I am honored to say this the Champion of the Year was Howard Holman.”
Walker continued, “I wish all the 408 libraries I the state had a ‘Howard Holman’; someone who is dedicated to helping wherever they are needed and don’t question it. It takes the staff, the directors, and volunteers like Howard to make a library successful.”
Holman said volunteering has always been important to him, and helping at the public library is something he enjoys and takes to heart, and he hopes he’s setting an example for the younger generation.
“It’s hard for me to accept this award,” Holman said. “There are just so many people who have worked so hard to getting our library where it is today. I am just so honored. I remember my first board meeting in the old library when we heard all of the problems we were facing including financial, and then it turned to a discussion of how we were going to build a $4.6 million building! My thoughts were, ‘OK, but where is the money going to come from?’ But look around: here’s the proof it can be done!”
And then, in true “Howard Holman Fashion,” he again found the humor in the situation, and said, “ But, it all started with me cutting the grass, and that’s such a mundane thing, but I hope my grandson who’s here today will see just what can happen when you take it upon yourself and just grab hold of a handle of a lawnmower!”
