Thelma Hutchins

FOREVER FALCON

Bridgeport, WV.

Thelma Hutchins, former Director of Library Services at Fairmont State University’s Ruth Ann Musick Library, passed away on Monday, April 7, at United Hospital Center after an extended illness.

Thelma earned a Master’s degree in Theology from the University of North Carolina, and later a Master’s in Library Science from Florida State University. Her career as an Academic Librarian traversed a number of states, including Florida, Georgia, Virginia, and, eventually, West Virginia. In the early 1980s, while at Emory and Henry University in Virginia, Thelma oversaw a 6.8-million-dollar federal grant to upgrade the campus network to fiber optic, including audio and video, and innovatively had the wiring of the network placed underground to maintain the campus aesthetic. This network is still in use today.

When she was hired as Director of the Fairmont State Ruth Ann Musick Library in 2000, she oversaw the renovation of the Main Library façade and the library’s transformation from print to digital library services. While here, Thelma was also instrumental in many important student-centered initiatives. The Library’s Reserve Textbook Collection, The Nest for students with food insecurity, the Welcome Weekend Library-palooza, the WV DELI consortia-based library, holiday games and prizes, extended 24-hour finals schedule complete with snacks and coffee, all demonstrate the wide range of Thelma’s generosity. The library’s student-centered approach to service is a direct and continued reflection of Thelma’s spirit. When she retired in 2017, she was awarded a plaque, which echoes her achievements: “For her vision which transformed the Ruth Ann Musick Library, for her partnerships with other libraries, and for her generosity and largeness of heart…”. A lifelong and fierce advocate for libraries, Thelma held lifetime memberships with both the American Library Association and the West Virginia Library Association, where she served as Treasurer for many years.

Burial will be private at Slemp Cemetery, 234 Horne Hollow Road, Sugar Grove, VA 24375.

To share memories of Thelma Hutchins, please visit www.seaverbrown.com. Care for Thelma has been entrusted to Fraziers’ Seaver-Brown Funeral Service & Crematory, 237 East Main Street, Marion VA 24354.