The public is invited to next week's reception that officially will welcome the new Chattahoochee Valley Libraries director.

The Muscogee County Library Board and Muscogee County Library Foundation will host the reception for Alan Harkness from 4-6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13 in the Mildred L. Terry Public Library, 640 Veterans Parkway.

The board unanimously voted May 23 to hire Harkness, 46, who was assistant state librarian for library development at the Georgia Public Library Service for the past 2 1/2 years. He has 28 years of experience in Georgia's public libraries, including four years as director of the Piedmont Regional Library System in Winder, Ga.

The other two finalists among the 40 applicants were Karen Odom, director of the Houston County (Ga.) Library System, and Anne Shepherd, director of the Charlotte County (Fla.) Library System.

Harkness is married to a medical librarian and the father of four children, ages 21, 10, 6 and 3.