It would be hard to find a better choice for a library director than Lisa Rice, who will soon take over the Bowling Green Public Library.

On Monday, Rice will become the new director, replacing outgoing director Alisa Carmichael and on July 1 the Bowling Green Public Library will become the Warren County Public Library.

Rice certainly has the qualifications and the knowledge to hit this job running.

She started at the Bowling Green Public Library as a Western Kentucky University student in the 1980s. But her roots to the library go back a lot further. In elementary school, she would go to the library after the school day was over and help the librarian. She became assistant director of the library the same year Carmichael was named director. She also worked as a school librarian in Butler County.

She definitely knows her way around the library system, which lets us know that it will be in good hands under Rice’s leadership.

Rice says she has a lot of plans for the library system, which has now become a part of the county. She says that she hopes to expand basic library services and offer many new programs.

Rice said that she would like to partner more with some literacy programs that are already in place. She also wants to promote reading programs throughout the county, expand the one-person home delivery service and bring back some of the staff positions that were cut in leaner years with more youth service librarians and an adult programmer.

It appears that Rice has a very forward-looking vision for the library system, which is important for the library’s long-term future.

Carmichael did a wonderful job during her tenure, and we believe Rice has the leadership and energy to build on the accomplishments of her predecessor and keep the library system moving forward. We extend her our best wishes in this endeavor.