Retirement is getting closer and so many good things are happening. If you attended the surprise celebration on Monday, June 6, I hope you introduced yourself to the new library director, Megan Bryant. If you were not able to attend the party be sure to introduce yourself the next time you are in the library. She has many great ideas and is anxious to implement them.
I thought the celebration we had planned was so the public could view our new multi-purpose room and to kick off the Summer Reading Program for the kids. The Library Board members had a really big surprise for me -- a retirement party. It was a total surprise and I don't know how they pulled it off -- especially getting two of my sons and a grandson here without my knowledge. A third son arrived after the party and my other two boys were unable to attend. Needless to say, I shed a lot of tears that afternoon.
Library hours
10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday-Thursday
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday
Thank you to everyone who attended or sent good wishes. I am so very happy my boys made it. Son Chris drove in from Houston and picked up his son Jacob in Oklahoma. Michael drove down from St. Louis as did son Curtis who lives in St. Louis but had been in Gulf Shores, Ala., for a wedding and made a slight detour on his way home. My other two sons had work commitments and were not able to make it.
Without the friendship and guidance of former librarian Linda Whitaker I would never have been offered this job. Thank you, Linda, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you to the Library Board for entrusting the library and its day to day operation to me, and for working so hard to make the new library a reality. I appreciate your hard work to keep it growing. Thank you to the community for all your support. I leave believing in my heart that I have achieved my goal of continuing the work of the many men and women who came before me working together to build a library the community can be proud of.
While this is my last column, I will be at the library for a few weeks more. See you there!
•••
Editor's note: Peggy Maddox was the librarian of the Pea Ridge Community Library; this is her last column. Opinions are those of the author. She can be reached at the library at 451-8442.
Editorial on 06/15/2016