Rayburne “Ray” Turner, a 15-year employee of Charleston County Public Library, recently was named 2007 Outstanding Librarian of the Year by the S.C. Library Association.

Turner, Reference Manager at the Otranto Road Regional Library, is active on the local, state and national levels in professional organizations promoting libraries, literacy, diversity and African-American leadership. The award recognizes a librarian in South Carolina who serves as a role model through outstanding professionalism, leadership and service.

As chairman of S.C. Library Association’s Scholarship for Diversity Committee, Turner is active in raising money to fund scholarships for minorities seeking an education in Library and Information Science. He continues his efforts to promote diversity, recruit, retain and mentor African-American students through his service the past three years on the African American Leadership Group for the University of South Carolina’s School of Library and Information Science and on the school’s National Advisory Council. He also has worked to promote children’s literacy through The Center for Children’s Literacy and Books at USC and has helped the American Library Association promote national legislative support and funding for libraries and literacy. 

Turner was part of Charleston County Public Library team that worked with the Medical University of South Carolina and Georgetown County Libraries to create a diabetes awareness program targeting the African-American community. The National Commission on Libraries and Information Science named this Reach 2010 program as the top library education program in the nation. 

This year, Turner also was named a member of the National Who’s Who Among African-American Librarians. He has worked in the library field since 1985 and joined Charleston County Public Library at the Otranto Road Regional when it opened in 1992.

A graduate of USC in 1985 with a bachelor’s in Political Science and in 2000 with a master’s in Library and Information Science, Turner also is active as a member and officer locally and regionally with the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.