East Texas

BY PHILLIP WILLIAMS
Special Correspondent

GILMER—Upshur County Commissioners Court voted 3-1 Tuesday to hire Mark Warren as county librarian after one commissioner’s motion to hire another applicant died for lack of a second.

Warren, 44, of Gilmer, said afterward he has a background in education and sales, and that he has “always enjoyed being in libraries,” though he has never worked in one. He was hired with the stipulation that he will earn a master’s degree in library science within three years, and is the first male to hold the post in Upshur County in recent memory.

After a 71-minute closed session in which the court interviewed three applicants, Precinct 2 Commissioner Joe (Buddy) Ferguson moved to employ David Hamblin, an Upshur County resident, for a six-month probationary period.

When the motion died for lack of a second, Precinct 1 Commissioner James Crittenden moved to name Warren. Precinct 4 Commissioner Glenn Campbell and Precinct. 3 Commissioner Lloyd Crabtree joined Crittenden in voting to hire Warren, with Ferguson dissenting.

Ferguson told the Tyler Morning Telegraph he favored Hamblin because he already has a degree in library science, and Warren doesn’t. “I have no (other) problem with Warren,” said Ferguson, who said he could work with the new librarian.

Ferguson said Hamblin was a “hometown boy,” and that he believed Hamblin worked for a public library in Longview.

Campbell meantime said Tuesday night he supported Warren because he gave “more professional and thorough” answers to questions than Hamblin, and “to me, his qualifications were better.”

Crittenden said Tuesday evening, “I liked some of the ideas that Mr. Warren had proposed... He wants to take the library in a direction I’d like to see it go also.”

Crittenden said he thought any of the four applicants who were interviewed for the position would have done a good job. Meantime, Crabtree could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.

Warren, who begins work at his $36,000-a-year post today, said he has worked in receiving for ABC Auto Parts in Longview for about the past three months. He termed that “kind of an in-between job,” saying he has held a variety of sales positions.

He said he worked in various capacities from 1995-2003 at East Texas Baptist University in Marshall, where his wife is a professor. He finished his tenure there as vice-president of student services, he said.

Warren also said he holds a doctorate degree in higher education administration from Texas A&M University Commerce; a master’s degree in counseling from Hardin-Simmons University; and a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from the University of Texas at Austin.

He said his doctoral dissertation partly involved the use of libraries, and “I think that will serve me well.” While he has never worked in a library, he said, he has “spent a lot of time” in them.

He also said his new post “fits real well with” his field, which is education.

Warren said he has “a love for learning, love for books,” and that he thought that trait would “spill over” into helping library patrons do the same.

Born and reared in Big Spring, Warren said he moved to East Texas in 1990 and has lived in Gilmer about six years. His wife, Dr. Marty Warren, is a professor of mathematics and statistics at ETBU, and they have three sons, he said.

Warren succeeds Ruth Semrau, who officially retired in December, but who has continued helping out at the library. He will receive the same salary she did.

He said he was excited to be part of a learning opportunity for the community, and “I’m going to do a lot of listening ... finding out what the (library’s) needs are.”

Asked about his tastes in reading, Warren told reporters he likes a variety of authors and tastes. He said he owns books “on spiritual formation ... living the Christian life,” and that he likes authors Dr. James Dobson and Larry Crabb.

He also said that being hired by a less-than-unanimous vote didn’t worry him, and that he believed he could work with Ferguson. “Part of my job will be to win him over,” Warren said.

County Judge Dean Fowler said during the meeting that about nine persons applied for the librarian post and all were called for an interview. The court interviewed four, but one has since secured other employment, he said.