If you attend a Nashville Metro Council meeting recognizing Nashville Public Library, you may notice that most people in the audience are wearing red. This isn’t a coincidence, it’s a tribute to Margaret Ann Robinson, one of NPL’s most passionate advocates.
Margaret Ann Robinson’s involvement with Nashville Public Library began in 1977 when she joined the library’s board. For more than four decades, she was a driving force behind building the foundation of the library system we know and love today. Her leadership helped pave the way for the approval of former Mayor Phil Bredesen’s 1997 proposal to invest $115 million into the library system. This investment included the construction of a new Main Library downtown, the opening of five new branches in Madison, Bordeaux, Hermitage, Green Hills, and Edmondson Pike, and the renovation of three others.
Beyond her work with NPL’s infrastructure, Robinson also helped establish strong financial support for library programming. She was a founding board member of the Nashville Public Library Foundation, serving for 25 years to expand funding for library programs and services, knowing that a public/private partnership is vital to having an impactful library system. Throughout her decades of advocacy, Robinson became known for her signature red blazer. She would famously tell NPL ambassadors to “wear red and sit in the front row” to get the attention of Metro Council members at meetings. Today, that call to action lives on. When we wear red to council meetings, we honor her legacy and remind city leaders that the library plays a vital role in our community.
As discussions around next year’s operating budget begin, there’s no better time to support NPL than by joining us for the library’s upcoming budget hearing on Wednesday, May 21, at 4:30 p.m. at the Historic Metro Courthouse, where Library Director Terri Luke will present to the Metro Council. And don’t forget to wear red.