While Hancox was a student at St. Clair High School, her first job at the library was at the circulation desk. She was there when voters approved a tax district to support the regional library in 1957.
"After the district was established the state bought books and we had to decide which ones to keep," said Hancox. "I was involved in that, not in making the decisions, but involved in the clerical work to get what we needed here."
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Hancox utilized a Missouri library scholarship that required her to work in a Missouri library for at least two years.
"I worked at Scenic during the summers through high school and all through college, so my choice was to work here," Hancox remembered. "I came back as the young adult librarian but here you change into a lot of hats."
Those hats included the assistant director were she often talked with groups including University of Missouri extension clubs and service clubs - many in rural Franklin County. She said in those years she worked several different positions, including time on the bookmobile, and the library was much different than today.
"In those good old days the bookmobile was not air-conditioned and the temperature was sometimes in the 100s. It was like a tin can," Hancox laughed. "We tried to park under a tree but the shade was not always available."
She added that her positions at the library "kind of all blended together" until 1975 when she became the director.
Hancox was director for over 32 years before retiring in 2008. As she neared retirement she began reflecting on her years at the library.
"I started thinking of the unique perspective of the library and how I was in one system for 43 years," Hancox said. "For others, each library is in a different part of development. I got to watch the entire change when I was here and the changes were phenomenal."
She said in the 1950-'60s the names of those who checked out books were written on a card placed in the inside cover of the book.
"In today's world we are very caught up in privacy," said Hancox. "In those days they looked at a book and think they might enjoy it, pull out the card and see who else read it."
She said sometimes people would look for names of someone who checked out the book and realize they had similar taste in books.
"With the new systems libraries have, people lost the ability to pull out a card and look at the front and back to see if they already have read it," Hancox added. "That was one of the little things people enjoyed but I wouldn't want to go back to it in exchange for what we have today."
She said for many years the only comprehensive card catalog was located at the Union branch of Scenic Regional Library.
"People using libraries had to rely on the librarian's memory," said Hancox.
"What was so important in library work was trying to remember your collection while they were constantly bringing in new titles."
She added that today filing and locating books are much different.
"Once it has a bar code it is in our system. It is instantaneous," she remarked. Another major innovation to the library system, Hancox said, is the process used to request books. It's more immediate.
"One of the most exciting days was when the catalog went online with the Web site," said Hancox. "It made the library available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It just made it so immediate."
Hancox explained the request for books by users were filled much quicker when the library implemented new technology. The catalog went online about eight to nine years ago.
In some instances, a request could be made at 3 a.m. to have a book at the Union branch of the library and that book could be in the library by 9 a.m. Hancox added that the Internet revolutionized the way that libraries request the books they purchase.
"It would take two to three months before we would get books. Now it is all done online," she said. "There have been times they come through the backdoor the next morning. The immediacy is tremendous and is what is needed in this day when people are used to getting information immediately."
Hancox also has been involved with moving libraries several times. The most historical move was when the library moved from where Union Furniture now is located to the library's current home on Hawthorne Drive.
"That was a great moment. Moving into this building opened up opportunities to everything that has come since," she said.
Awards and Community Involvement
Hancox received the 2008 Ronald G. Bohley Award at the Missouri Library Association's annual conference in St. Louis on Oct. 2, 2008.
This prestigious award is given to a librarian each year by the Missouri Library Association and the Missouri Library Network Corporation. It is a collaborative award presented to an individual who has shown true leadership in the profession and recognizes those who have proven to reach out to other libraries in an effort to promote cooperative activities among libraries.
She has been actively involved in the Missouri Library Association Legislative Committee, spearheading efforts to support libraries of all types in Franklin, Warren and Gasconade counties and throughout the entire state of Missouri. Hancox also has promoted legislative issues which impacted public and school libraries in addition to related programs at the University of Missouri.
Hancox has been professionally active on the state level, serving the Missouri Library Association in many capacities, including president and longtime member of the legislative committee.
Hancox received the Union Area Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Service Award in 1998.
She was one of three women, along with Alvera Heeger and Sharon Birkman who were the first females in the Union Rotary. Hancox was the first female president in 1996-97.
She also was the first woman president of the Union Area Chamber of Commerce. She is now finishing her second term as the president of PEO, an organization that includes the advancement of women in areas including education.
"The amount of money given out annually is quite impressive," said Hancox. Hancox also served on a 14-member committee that drafted a Franklin County constitution.
St. John's Mercy Hospital Foundation
In addition to her work at the library, Hancox has been actively involved in the St. John's Mercy Hospital Foundation Board since its inception about six years ago.
"Being part of the foundation and raising funds to assist the hospital in carrying out its mission is very rewarding and I feel very fortunate to be part of it," said Hancox.
She was a member of the group that first explored the need for a foundation and has served as president since fall 2008.
Hancox said it became apparent that a foundation would be beneficial for the hospital because of what it would do for the region the hospital serves. The foundation's first campaign was not for a specific cause but served as an introduction to the purpose of the foundation, Hancox explained.
She said the response was very good and spoke of the importance of the hospital to the region.
The second campaign raised funds for the McAuley Clinic that now provides services for children, adults, expectant mothers and mental health. The clinic has grown since it moved to the Mercy Medical Building and through rough economic times.
Other foundation fundraiser efforts include the expansion of hospital cancer services.
Since becoming a member of the foundation Hancox has become an advocate for the hospital.
She feels the hospital is vital to the region it serves. It is the only medical facility in the region that is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and provides health care to all who enter, said Hancox.
"The care it provides is based on the mission of the Sisters of Mercy, which strongly believes in the dignity of the patient," she added.
Married Life
Through her connection at the library, Sallie met her husband Kurt Hancox. The couple have been married 25 years.
Kurt is friends with current library director Ken Rohrbach who introduced the couple. He is a retired music teacher who taught at Union High School and in Gasconade County.
Hancox said she enjoys traveling had has visited nearly every state.
"I have always loved to travel. I had been to 48 states of the continental U.S. by the end of high school," she said. "I still have Alaska and Hawaii to go but that is on the radar."
To celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, the couple took a cruise in the Mediterranean Sea and across the Atlantic Ocean. They flew to Venice, Italy. For the trip home, they crossed the Atlantic by ship.
"I always knew that cruise ships had libraries," she said. "They had just remodeled the one on this ship and people were able to send and receive e-mails. "I found that very interesting."
The couple also has visited England, Scotland, Canada and Mexico.
Retirement Plans
Hancox said she is looking forward to spending time with her three godchildren now that she has retired.
"The great thing about retirement is having the freedom of not having a schedule," she said. "There are a lot more of those pick up, go and dos."
Hancox said she intends to visit the St. Louis Symphony for daytime concerts.
"I will be able to do things spur of the moment," she said. "I am looking forward to the freedom I am going to have."
Hancox said she will still remain involved in the library at the state and local levels but not every day.
"I don't miss the responsibility. I don't miss going to work every day," she said. "I do miss the people. The thing about the library and the people who use it is that they are so generous."
