New Lee Itawamba Library System director is published author, podcast host
Nov. 4—TUPELO — The new executive director of the Lee Itawamba Library System is also a published author and podcast host.
Philip C. Shackelford, who is based at the Lee County Library in Tupelo, started on October 16.
The Ripley native spent his childhood in Tippah County and moved with his family to northeast Ohio during his senior year of high school. He attended Kent State University, earning a bachelor's degree in history and two master's degrees — one in history and another in library and information science.
After seven years in Ohio, Shackelford began looking for jobs in the South. He took a library director job with South Arkansas College in El Dorado, Arkansas, and after seven years there, he took the job in Tupelo.
He always wanted to have a career that allowed him to combine his two passions.
Becoming a library director was the perfect fit. The library side of the job is varied and community-minded, while the history side allows him to conduct research and continue to write.
In addition to working as a library director, Shackelford is a military historian. He wrote a book, "Rise of the Mavericks: the U.S. Air Force Security Service and the Cold War," which was published by the U.S. Naval Institute Press in April 2023.
It shares the organizational history of the U.S. Air Force Security Service, which was established in 1948 to place the newly independent Air Force on competitive footing with the Army and Navy in terms of communications intelligence, Shackelford said. His grandfather, Tom Shackelford, was a member of the U.S. Air Force Security Service.
"The transition from World War II into the Cold War is this incredibly transformative time for not only the American military but American society and the world at large," Shackelford said. "The Security Service, it's a command that's largely missing from the pages of history but it played an important role in not only those transformations but helping the Air Force become a truly modern, capable strategic force. That's a story that needed to be told."
Shackelford also hosts The Modern Scholar Podcast, which he started in early 2022.
"It came down to some conversations that I think needed to be explored," Shackelford said. "In terms of both librarianship and history, these are both disciplines that there's a lot of important work that's being done but they're both disciplines and professions that have their fair share of challenges."
The podcast discussions with librarians, historians and community leaders offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how the professions work, with guests talking about what they do, their path to where they are, common challenges involved in their work and things to celebrate about their professions.
Shackelford said it's obvious the Lee County Library holds a special place in the heart of the community.
"We want to continue to keep community in place at the center of the way we think about the future, whether it's innovating new programs, making new partnerships, even recommending books to patrons," Shackelford said. "We want to keep the community at the center of all that because that's what we're here for. That's the group of people that we are here to serve."
Using a community focused mindset, Shackelford intends to work with the library system's staff, which totals 23 employees, and the wider community to evaluate opportunities to grow, establish partnerships and explore new programming opportunities.
Part of that will include creating a new strategic plan in 2024 to map out the future.
"I'm all about collaboration and partnerships," Shackelford said. "I think that's crucially important. And really, it's good for everybody. At the end of the day, everybody in the community, we're all doing great things. The more that we can come together and pull in the same direction towards a common goal, the better."
The library is a third place, meaning it's not work or home but a third type of place people can go to explore topics they're curious about and broaden their horizons.
Strong public libraries are also an engine of positive economic impact, Shackelford said.
"Think about the savings that individuals who come in have," he said. "Instead of purchasing materials or having to pay for a program or a training, a lot of those things are made available for free. That's an incredible economic impact. That money is staying in our communities."
One of the things he enjoys most about working in a library is that no two days are the same. Whether he's hosting a program, working with staff on a new project or buying books, there's plenty to do.
"There's a lot of variety involved in library work, and it's an exciting time to be a librarian," Shackelford said.
For the latest library information, follow the Lee County Library on Facebook and Instagram, visit the li.lib.ms.us website or call (662) 841-9027.
