Retired Librarian Khayat honored

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Retired Baxter County Librarian Gwen Khayat has been selected as the 2017 recipient of the Arkansas Library Association’s Frances P. Neal Award. Khayat was presented the award at the Arkansas Library Association Conference Awards Dinner in late September.

The award is named in honor of Frances P. Neal, who served as librarian and executive secretary of the Arkansas Library Commission from 1952 to 1977, as Arkansas Chapter councilor to the American Library Association from 1952 to 1971, and was Arkansas Woman of the Year.

Khayat retired in June of 2015 after serving for over 25 years as Baxter County librarian. According to a press release, during her time as librarian, Khayat seldom sat still, constantly challenging library staff to move forward, embrace change, welcome technology, and try new things.

Over the years, Khayat’s leadership made it possible for the Baxter County Library to grow along with the community. She led the library through many significant changes – a building renovation, computerization of library records, implementation of an integrated library system, and introduction of public-use computers.

In 2005, Khayat led the library through an extensive planning and grant application process for a Donald W. Reynolds Foundation Capital Grant proposal – never wavering from her commitment to see the library move up from a 9,000 square-foot-building to the beautiful, 36,500-square-foot Donald W. Reynolds Library Serving Baxter County.

Today, she remains active with the library, serving on the Baxter County Library Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee of the Friends of the Library.

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