Greenwood-Leflore Public Library's director, Susan Harris, remembers someone once telling her that "you can't take the Internet to bed with you."
But, she says, you can take a good book.
That's the purpose of a public library. It's put in place for the people, by the people. All they have to do is use it.
"You don't have to have a library card to go to the library," Harris said. "And any public library will have something you can read, from the time you are born until the time you die."
She's referring to children's books, adult fiction and non-fiction, large-print books, books on tape and CD and even services for the handicapped.
The Greenwood-Leflore Public Library was first opened in 1914 in the old library building, which sits just down and across the street from the existing library on West Washington Street. The existing main library was opened in 1979.
The library also has two other branches, including the Jodie Wilson Library, which opened in 1972, and the Itta Bena Library, which opened in 1959.
Harris has been with the library since 1976. She started as a public services coordinator, and she became director in 1981. She holds a master's degree in library science.
Today, all three libraries hold 86,845 print materials and 1,370 non-print materials, including CDs, cassettes, microfilm and microfiche.
The main library subscribes to five newspapers and 115 magazines and journals. They have 10 full-time and five part-time employees.
"We're small and friendly," Harris said. "You want people to enjoy reading, but we offer so much more."
In addition to the books, the library has a genealogy collection, phone directories, tax forms, Internet and word processing services, books on cassette and CD, a paperback swap, a meeting facility at the Jodie Wilson branch, and an interlibrary loan, in which the library can borrow books and materials from other libraries.
There are 8,249 registered card holders for the library, but according to Harris, more people use the library than the numbers indicate.
"We have 3,000 to 4,000 people in here every month. People use the copier, read the paper and much more," Harris said.
What makes Harris the happiest about her job is seeing parents come in with their young children.
"They are beginning young in learning there's a library, and they will continue to use it throughout their life," she said. "There are more parents who bring their children in to get a library card. They want to share the library with their children."
Just how does the library know which books to keep on hand, and where do they get them from?
"People will come in and ask about titles," Harris said. "And our staff will also go through journals for adults and children and select books. We then place orders for books. We have one main source that we get our books from, and we have a couple of smaller sources as well."
When new books come in, there's a process that must be followed before they make it to the shelves.
Library and catalog cards must be typed for each book, book information must be entered on the computer, labels must be put on the books, and then they are stamped with a library stamp.
When books wear out, they are sent to a book binder. Mostly, this includes fiction books because they are timeless. Non-fiction books have to be updated more frequently to keep up with the times.
The genealogy section of the library, located on the first floor, has become one of the most popular sections in recent years. There's even a volunteer of sorts on hand to help anyone wishing to delve into a little family history.
Her name is Hazel Palmertree, and she tries to make it to the library every single day.
"Someone will call me and I will meet them at the library," Palmertree said. "It's my hobby. I started this a few years ago."
Having done extensive family history research, Palmertree has familiarized herself with the genealogy section and how all the books interrelate. She can help anyone find just about anything.
Library hours are as follows:
- Main library: 8:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday;
- Jodie Wilson branch: 9 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m. Monday through Friday;
- Itta Bena branch: 1-3 p.m. Monday-Friday.
The library is funded by the City of Greenwood and Leflore County. Some funding also is provided by the state.
