POWERGRAMS

28 loan services with other libraries. "We're a a business and technical library, meaning we have a collection of business and engineering books and media serving not just Alabama Power, but all employees in the Southern Company family," Mitchell said. "Research Services is an advantage a lot of companies don't have," Gowens said. Most materials can be checked out for three weeks, then renewed. Library hours are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Meanwhile, the library is not entirely a secret. Some employees have already discovered the hidden jewel. "We have customers who come in daily on their lunch break and read magazines or the newspaper," Gowens said. "It's a very quiet environment and great for studying for an exam or preparing for a presentation." Mitchell and Gowens once noticed an employee who visited every day for almost a year, at the same time and siing in the same spot, who brought his laptop and typed. They wondered if he was an author. "We jokingly discussed if we would be mentioned in the book or thanked in the author's notes for our nice tables and air conditioning," Gowens said laughing. They finally got the nerve to ask. "We were right," Gowens said. "He had been working on a novel. He already had one published on Amazon. We thought that was prey neat." But you won't find works of fiction in the library. Those went out the window 24 years ago, and started what was a steady decline in the use of materials. The history of the library is like a yo-yo. It started in 1925 in the current Archives location. Later, former CEO Joseph Farley hired Angela Wier to transform it into a research library. She hired Sherie Maox as the first research librarian. Maox was the one constant over the years and the face of Research Services until her retirement this past summer. In 1986, the library moved to the mezzanine – where Public Relations is now located – and enjoyed its heyday, with a staff of seven. But removing works of fiction caused a downturn in patrons. In 1994, General Services took over the library, which was downsized the next year by half of its books and periodicals, and moved to its current spot on the eighth floor with Maox and one assistant. The library team includes Mitchell, Gowens and new Supervisor Elizabeth Beasley. "Working here allows me to connect with a wide range of people throughout the company," Mitchell said, "from Marketing and Public Relations to Economic Development, Research and Technology to the engineers in Transmission and Power Delivery. I enjoy finding new information and being able to provide our employees with the information and knowledge they need to do their job safely and efficiently." Mitchell quoted the library's moo she hopes employees will heed: "Information makes the difference between a decision and a guess." Research Services associate Gowens helps an employee.

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