(L-R) Ray Turner (Branch Manager, Otranto Road Library), Angela Craig (Executive Director, CCPL), John Walden (Chief Deputy Director, CCPL)
Charleston County Public Library’s (CCPL) Cynthia Graham Hurd Staff Award for 2025 has been awarded to Ray Turner, Branch Manager at the Otranto Road Library. This award honors the memory of Hurd, a 31-year veteran of CCPL, who was killed in the Mother Emanuel AME Church shooting in 2015.
The award is presented in recognition of a current staff member who has demonstrated to the public and community the same spirit, enthusiasm, dedication, and commitment exhibited by Cynthia in carrying out the mission of CCPL. To be eligible, an employee must have completed one full year of service and have at least one written nomination submitted on their behalf by another staff member.
“Ray has had a significant, impactful career at CCPL and has contributed to the field of librarianship on the local, state and national level,” said CCPL Chief Deputy Director John Walden. "We are thrilled to recognize Ray as this year’s award recipient,”
Ray, who has been with CCPL for nearly 34 years, takes a hands-on approach leading the Otranto branch by assisting the public daily and continually looking for opportunities to help library patrons and allow patrons to help one each other. His many efforts include:
- Seeking resources for unhoused patrons who frequent the branch
- Hosting a donation bin for supplies for local schools
- Serving as a Notary Public at the branch
- Partnering with community organizations to share information and resources
Ray is an active community member who dedicates many hours to volunteering at both the local and regional levels. In April 2025, he volunteered for the Charleston Area March for Babies in Hampton Park, and in June, he served as Master of Ceremonies for the Gullah Festival in Beaufort. At the state level, he serves on the Planning Committee for the South Carolina Library Association (SCLA) and mentors African American youth as a member and Executive Director of the South Carolina Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Each year, Ray represents CCPL and South Carolina libraries at the state’s Legislative Day for Libraries. Nationally, he has served for the past three years as a judge for the Library of the Year Award through the Library of Congress’ National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled.
The Cynthia Graham Hurd Staff Award was developed in 2019, when CCPL staff worked closely with Cynthia’s brothers, Melvin and Malcolm Graham, and the Graham family, to establish an opportunity to celebrate Cynthia’s memory and recognize outstanding staff on an annual basis. Previous winners include K’Lani Green (2019), Sheila Heyward (2020), Julian Gooding (2021), Amy Adams (2022), Patrice Smith (2023), and Teri Blackberg (2024).
For more information about CCPL, visit ccpl.org.