LIBRARY NOTES: Work progresses on new library

— If any of you have driven past the soon to be new home of the library you may have noticed a lot of activity there. The Benton County Sheriff’s Office sent six inmates and a guard out several days last week to help with demolition inside the building and the removal of the old shrubbery along the front of the building. We are very grateful for their help. The walls are down as is the ceiling, and two dumpster loads of debris have been hauled away. All items suitable for reuse have been saved - wood, light fixtures, etc. Thanks to Cory Flowers and Tony Townsend for overseeing the work being done by the inmates.

By the way, there is a large pile of two-by-fours salvaged from the demolition just waiting for a couple of volunteers to come and remove the nails. If you posses the nail removal skill, please call thelibrary so we can schedule a time that works for you and Cory.

I was very disappointed to learn that someone attempted to break into the new building. I can’t imagine what anyone thought they would find of value in there. Maybe it was just someone wanting to help us with the remodeling. But I would much rather have had them come by and volunteer during working hours so we could have avoided the cost of a very expensive lock replacement. And if it was used books they were seeking, someone from the library would have been happy to let them browse through what has been donated.

Book donations are stillarriving at the library by the bag and box. Thanks to a couple of volunteers, we are almost keeping on top of things. Books are being rearranged on shelves to make room for more books. Cinda is working miracles in the children’s room. Once some of the older books are weeded out, we can begin to add some newer ones.

After the meeting with the Pea Ridge School District librarians, we have added some new teen books to the shelves. We have had some students stop by to peruse what is available.

The board is busy working on plans for the new library - layouts, expanded hours, new rules for using the library and perhaps a new inventory/check-out/ check-in system. Plans are being made for the Summer Story Hour as well as the Summer Reading Program. If you are not familiar with the programs stopby the library for details.

We can always use volunteers for these programs.

Hope you all had a nice Valentine’s Day. Two of my very young reader’s stopped by with gifts for me. Thank you so much to Joe and Ashlynn. Your thoughtfulness means so much to me.

I want to say a special thank you to the Lewis children for donating their allowance money to the library. What a sweet thing to do and your donation is greatly appreciated.

See you at the library!

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Editor’s note: Peggy Maddox is the librarian of the Pea Ridge Community Library. Library hours are 4-8 p.m. Tuesday, 1-5 p.m.

Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday. She can be reached at the library at 451-8442 or by mail at P.O.

Box 9, Pea Ridge, AR 72751.

The library web site is www pearigecommunitylibrary.

org.

Opinion, Pages 4 on 02/22/2012