Margaret Johnston was born June 8, 1911, and grew up in Mebane, North Carolina. She graduated from what today is known as the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 1933. Johnston taught school for a year and then worked at the library of Rutherford-Spindale High School from 1934 until 1938. She then worked at the Rutherford County Library (1938-1941), Cumberland County Library (1941-1944), Haywood County Library (1944-1956) and Rockingham County Library (1956-1959) before becoming the head librarian at the Albemarle-Stanly County Library System in June 1959. Two of Johnston’s biggest accomplishments while in Stanly County were overseeing the April 1972 opening of the current main library building on East Main Street in Albemarle. She also led the development and opening of the local history focused Heritage Room in 1975. This room, now located at the Stanly County History Center, was later renamed the Margaret Johnston Heritage Room in her honor. Margaret Johnston retired from the Stanly County Library in 1976 and passed away in 1982. {Lewis Bramlett – Stanly County Historical Society}