Marion County commissioners have chosen the name for the new library branch that will be located inside the Mary Sue Rich Community Center at Reed Place.
During the Marion County Board of County Commissioners regular meeting on Wednesday, September 7, the Facilities Naming Committee, which was appointed by the County Administrator, presented a short list of recommended names for the new library.
The naming committee had received over 150 suggestions from the community, and that list was narrowed down to the following three names for consideration: Sankofa Public Library, Champions Public Library, and West Ocala Public Library.
Marion County Library Director Julie Seig delivered the committee’s report to the commissioners, and she explained that the committee had unanimously agreed on Sankofa as its top choice.
Seig explained that Sankofa is a West African word from the Akan tribe in Ghana which literally means “it is not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten.” Sankofa is derived from San (return), Ko (go), and Fa (look/seek/take).
According to Wikipedia, Sankofa is described as “symbolizing taking from the past what is good and bringing it into the present in order to make positive progress through the benevolent use of knowledge.”
Seig admitted that Sankofa is a word that most people may not be familiar with. However, her reasoning behind choosing this name was that the library would be a perfect place to learn the definition and meaning behind the word.
At the end of Seig’s presentation, the commissioners unanimously voted on the name “Sankofa Public Library” for the new library that will be inside the Mary Sue Rich Community Center.
The grand opening of the Mary Sue Rich Community Center (1812 NW 21st Avenue in Ocala) is expected in early December of 2022, and it will be open seven days a week: Monday through Friday (8 a.m. to 8 p.m.), Saturday (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.), and Sunday (12 p.m. to 5 p.m.).