We think that Robin Sapp and Rick Ewing made wise choices when they applied for the positions of library directors in Cumberland and Buckingham, respectively.

The library boards that hired the two made sound decisions — ones that will allow the libraries in the two counties to continue to flourish and better serve the community.

A very admirable approach, both of the new librarians, who are new to Buckingham and Cumberland, are making it a top priority to get to know the wants and needs of their respective communities before instituting changes in programming or procedures.

“I have to learn the library here,” Ewing said. “I have to meet the people who come here and understand who comes here and why. And understand who doesn’t come here and why.”

Ewing, much like Sapp, said he wants the library to help better the community.

“Hopefully they’ll learn what we can do for them, because we can do things that they can’t get anywhere else. We can help them.”

“The first thing I need to do,” Sapp said, “which I’m working on, is to really form a relationship with the staff and the trustees and the volunteers (and) get to know them.”

Getting to know the community is important to Sapp, she said, including finding out what people need “and what they might want that we can do. So it’s not just so much my ideas, because you can have a great idea, but if everything else doesn’t fall into sync with it, it’s not going to work.”

We commend both librarians for having the openness and willingness to learn and adapt to the needs of our community.