Edith Lenora Foster

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Edith Lenora Foster (March 6, 1906 – August 18, 1996) was an American librarian, educator, historian, and author who played a pivotal role in the development of rural library systems in Georgia. A native of Carrollton, Georgia, Foster began her career as an English teacher before earning a master’s degree in Librarianship from Emory University in 1944.^[1] That same year, she founded the West Georgia Regional Library System, one of the first multi-county rural library systems in the state, which later became a national model.^[1] Foster was also a pioneer in mobile library services, designing west Georgia’s first bookmobile in 1946. Over her 32-year tenure as director, she expanded the system to include eight branches and over 190,000 volumes.^[1] In addition to her work in librarianship, she authored poetry, local histories, and professional manuals, and contributed to newspapers and journals.^[1] Foster received numerous accolades, including recognition from President Gerald Ford and Georgia’s Governor’s Award in the Humanities. She was inducted into the Georgia Women of Achievement in 2007.^[1]