Live Oak Public Libraries and the Regional Board of Library Trustees are pleased to announce David Singleton as Library Executive Director. He has been serving as Interim Library Director at LOPL since June 26, 2019.

Singleton has more than 30 years of experience in library leadership, including 11 years as Director of Libraries for Charlotte Mecklenburg Library in North Carolina. While at CML, he worked with the community, staff, and Board to help guide the library system through one of the largest budget reductions in the United States. In the process, the Library became more relevant to the community, with increased hours, staffing, and services. Singleton’s leadership helped position the Library to be more sustainable for the future through the development of community partnerships, innovative programs, and strategic projects.  

"I am honored by the Board's confidence in me to lead such a talented and dedicated group of staff, who work to improve the lives of individuals and to build stronger communities every day. I look forward to the opportunities ahead, in partnership with the Board, the staff and the diverse communities of Chatham, Effingham and Liberty Counties," states Singleton.

He also worked in Georgia for 15 years, including 10 years with Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS). Singleton served as Deputy State Librarian, managing many statewide projects including PINES and the creation of open source software for libraries. Singleton also held a managerial position at Gwinnett County Public Library. Prior to that, he served as Director of the Transylvania County Library in North Carolina.

State Librarian Julie Walker says, "Georgia's library community enthusiastically welcomes David Singleton back to our state. David's contributions to our public libraries, to PINES, and to libraries on a national level are significant and widely recognized. His leadership and personal integrity are held in the highest regard throughout our profession. David brings a wealth of experience, a keen intellect, a commitment to excellence in customer service, a dedication to the development of library staff, and a well-deserved reputation for innovation and collaboration in library services and programs. Live Oak Public Libraries selected an exceptional leader."

In 2004, Singleton was honored as the first recipient of the American Library Association’s Sullivan Award for Public Library Administrators Supporting Service to Children. In 2007, he received the Nix-Jones Award from the Georgia Library Association for outstanding lifetime contribution to Georgia libraries. Recently, he was named 2018 Public Library Director of the Year by the North Carolina Public Library Directors Association.

Singleton holds a Bachelors of Arts in English Literature and a Masters of Science in Library Science, both from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.