Though I love to tell the stories of overcoming life’s everyday hardships, this past week has been a bit more than I was ready to handle — all on my days off.
Let me tell you. First, I had a black snake in my bathroom that disappeared before a handler could arrive. Next, my window air conditioner bit the dust, and of course the warranty had expired. Trying to find another unit in the middle of a heat wave was nearly impossible, so I had to order one from out of state with a promised three-day delivery. Three days is a long time without cool air! I still had my attic fan to cool the house at night, but then it stopped running the next morning.
Sometimes I think I just need to spend more time at the library! It is a cooling station for everyone, after all.
We laughed, we learned, we were amazed, we crafted, we hunted, we read, but most importantly, for the past two months we had fun at this year’s "Unearth a Story: Dinosaurs!" Summer Reading Program.
Twenty-seven children completed the requirements for the program, which is a great number for our small community! We are proud of the children and their parents, grandparents and others who accompanied them for each of our weekly activities and encouraged their reading goals. Hopefully, each child gained a renewed appreciation for reading while participating.
All great things must come to an end, and our 2026 Summer Reading Program concluded with our Awards Pizza Party. Congratulations to all who finished!
Our front table still features an ongoing puzzle for all and a dinosaur tablecloth that can be colored with markers or crayons for creative fun. Additionally, the Early Literacy computers in the children’s department have been replaced for the season with juvenile puzzles of both our country and of dinosaurs. Our younger patrons are welcome to check these out when visiting our library.
It’s never too late to join our library’s Book Club! Our group reads the same book one month, discusses it the next month and picks up a new book for the following reading. We are presently reading "We Begin at the End" by Chris Whitaker. There’s only one requirement to join our group: You must love to read! Our next Book Club meeting is set for 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8.
New additions to our fiction shelves include:
- Large Print: "Deep Water" (a Stone Barrington novel) by Stuart Woods and Brett Battles, and "Nordic & Finn: Book One" (western) by Peter Brandvold.
- General Fiction: "The Texas Murders: A Texas Ranger Thriller" by James Patterson, "The Divorce" by Freida McFadden, and "As Far As She Knew" by Diana Awad.
- Christian Fiction: "An Amish Second Chance" by Beth Wiseman, "To Love a Beast" by Karen Witemeyer, and "Faithful of Heart" by Tracie Peterson.
- Young Adult & Nonfiction: "The Rules for Disappearing" by Ashley Elston, and "Mysteries of the National Parks: 35 Stories of Baffling Disappearances, Unexplained Phenomena, and More" by Mike Bezemek.
- New DVDs: DreamWorks' "Kung Fu Panda."
Texas County Library cards are free yet priceless! You’ll need to bring both a current photo ID and proof of current address — such as canceled mail, a utility bill or a checkbook — when applying for a new card.
Ongoing activities at Summersville Branch Library
- Story Time & Craft: 1:30 p.m. Tuesdays.
- Chain Gang Crochet Club: 2 to 4 p.m. Thursdays.
- Lego Club: Any time during business hours!
- Friends of the Library: Meets at 1:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month.
Contact the library for more information on any activity or a suggestion for new ones!
The Summersville Friends of the Library group needs new members to continue the beneficial work our group does to help with activities for the children, adults and our community. New members are encouraged to join this active group in supporting and participating in the continuing growth of the Summersville Branch Library. “Like” the Friends’ Facebook page @SummersvilleFriendsOfTheLibrary.
Texas County Library now has e-books and audiobooks available to download for Texas County Library patrons. To view the catalog and download, go to our website: texascountylibrary.lib.mo.us, click on “e-books,” or come by the library for assistance. Texas County Library cards are required.
Summersville Library is a branch of Texas County Library and located at 480 First St., on the south side of the square, next door to Open Door in Summersville.
Business hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays. Summersville Branch librarians are Kathie Cox and Diana Richardson, and the Texas County library director is Louise Beasley.
Visit texascountylibrary.lib.mo.us or contact the library by phone, 417-932-5261; email, svlib@texascountylibrary.lib.mo.us; or fax, 417-932-5262. Be sure and like our Texas County Library Facebook page!
