Thank you all for your support on the first issue of My Alabama Library! Over the next few weeks, we’ll be posting some of the stories that readers have been sharing about why they love their local libraries. Then in October, our second full issue will feature the wonderful Fairhope Public Library!
Thanks to this issue’s sponsor:
His & Hers Consignment & Mercantile
in Rogersville, Alabama
But first, let’s take one more look at the Rogersville Public Library. In our first article about Rogersville, I noted that the library users I interviewed all gushed about the personal care and service offered by the library staff.
As we started sharing the articles on our Facebook page, the residents of Rogersville really showed up to brag about their library. In comment after comment, they talked about how much the library and its staff mean to them:
I particularly loved Wanda Shedd’s comment about the library being “probably my favorite thing about Rogersville!” I asked her to tell me more about why she loves taking her grandchildren to the library.
In a small town the entertainment is limited, so, for me as a grandparent, it was a sweet time with small grands and an imaginary adventure. They loved the soft-floor reclining chairs, and at this time I was still able to get up and down off the floor!!
It was an intimate sitting place to read the books of their choice and, with some imagination on their part and a little play acting on my part, we could make these stories come alive!!
The library was so quiet and peaceful….your smallest imaginations can really come alive there. Then there was the excitement of choosing a couple books or even a movie to check out with their very own library card….to carry home and enjoy later!!-Wanda Shedd on visiting the Rogersville Public Library with her grandchildren
Another common theme in my interviews, especially about the Summer Reading Program, was that many rural families use multiple public libraries.
Rogersville resident Mike Ezell reached out to share how his family uses the Rogersville, Lexington, and Killen Public Libraries:
These 3 libraries contribute greatly to our small communities with their Summer Reading Programs and just general research applications. Tax help, historical records, a place to tutor students and many other services are found here.
Our towns would be at a loss without these services, so my family and I use and contribute freely to our local libraries!-Mike Ezell on using the public libraries in Rogersville, Lexington, and Killen, Alabama
We’re proud to have had the opportunity to showcase how valuable the Rogersville Public Library is to its community.
Thanks to our sponsor, His and Hers Consignment & Mercantile, our social media ads helped us get over 73,000 views on our posts about the Rogersville Public Library!
That’s a lot of people who now have a better understanding of just how important public libraries are to their communities. And it was an incredibly encouraging start for this new project.
If you’d like to help My Alabama Library showcase and celebrate libraries throughout the state, consider becoming a paid supporter at $6 a month. No library stories will be paywalled, but your support allows My Alabama Library to keep spreading the good news about libraries.
(Important note: if you choose to become a paid supporter, sign up through your internet browser. Subscriptions through the Substack app have added fees from Apple/Google).
Thank you all again for making the launch of My Alabama Library a great success!