From These Roots

“Ms. Sayer was a small lady who ran a very tight ship. She would ‘shhh’ you if you even looked like you might talk in her library, but when you got to know her, you realized she had a big soft side. She was a very dedicated librarian who loved her work and didn’t hesitate to help a student in need.” – A former student

Edith Sayer was born in Georgia to Rev. Paul and Angie Sayer. She received a B.S. in math from Furman University before going to Peabody College in Nashville (Vanderbilt) where she received a B.S. in Library Science. Eventually, after serving as a librarian for several years, she returned to Peabody and received her Master’s in Library Science degree. She worked for a county library and a school library before becoming the first librarian of Truett-McConnell Junior College in Georgia in 1947.

In 1949, she became the first full-time librarian at North Greenville Junior College. The library moved three times during her time at the school. When she first came to North Greenville, the library was located in a classroom in the old administration building. When Donnan was completed, about half of the building housed the library. Eventually, Ms. Sayer was instrumental in North Greenville building a separate library facility. The library’s collection grew by the thousands during her time as the librarian. She also had the daunting task of bringing a library made for high school students up to the standards of a college collection.

While the archive may have officially been started by former librarian Jonathan Bradsher, Ms. Sayer saw the need to preserve the school’s history early in her career. She not only kept copies of school publications and documents, but she also kept scrapbooks for each year she was at North Greenville. If it was not for her diligence, much of the school’s history would be lost.

Ms. Sayer loved the students of North Greenville. One of her former students recalled that, in an attempt to shield them, she would mark out any bad language in the library books. Her service to students did not stop at the library doors, though. She taught math for a while, sponsored classes, and was the counselor for the college Y.W.A.

Ms. Sayer was a faithful member of Tigerville Baptist Church for over 60 years. She was involved in numerous church activities including the WMU, Young People’s Union, and G.A.s. In addition to her church work, she enjoyed gardening and traveling. When she retired in 1987, she stated that she really wanted to see the world, and she did. She traveled to Tokyo, Honolulu, the middle east, Switzerland, Germany, and other places in Europe.

Edith Sayer, the first and longest-serving full-time librarian in the school’s history, passed away at the age of 90 in 2011.

“I am proud of you and what you have accomplished. It is an honor for me to have the privilege of serving with you as a member of the North Greenville College family.” – Dr. James Jordan in a 1982 letter to Ms. Sayer