PEA RIDGE — It has been an exciting past few weeks for the library. The city accepted the donation of the Mercy Health Building for use as a new home for the library which was very good news. But on a sadder note our librarian for the past 10 years, Linda Whitaker, retired. I know you join the library board in wishing Linda the best in her retirement. She has done an outstanding job for the past 10 years and will be sorely missed. I realize I have awfully big shoes to fill as I take over for her!

The Library Board is busy with plans for the new building and hope to see the remodeling start soon.

The summer reading program started July 5 and will end July 21. There is still time to stop by the library and fill out sign-up sheets for your children.

Call the library at 451-8842 for more details.

Ms. Heather Kleber kicked off the Summer Story Hour at the library on July 7. She did an outstanding job reading to the children and then helping them with a craft project. The story hour will continue at 11 a.m. each Thursday. It isopen to kids of all ages.

Thanks to all of you who are donating books for the library book sale. Watch this column and Facebook for an announcement regarding sale date and time.

As always we have lots of new books - James Patterson’s “Now You See Her”; Earlene Fowler’s latest “Spider Web”; and for the romance readers there is Johanna Lindsey’s “When Passion Rules.” John Sandford’s “Rough Country” and “Rentless” by Dean Koontz is proving to be very popular as well.

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Editor’s note: Peggy Maddox is the librarian of the Pea Ridge Community Library. She can be reached at P.O. Box 9, Pea Ridge, AR 72751.

Opinion, Pages 4 on 07/13/2011