Library Holds Business Leaders' Breakfast

RACHEL DICKERSON/MCDONALD COUNTY PRESS Associate circuit judge John LePage speaks to the group gathered for the business leaders' breakfast at the McDonald County Library on April 10.
RACHEL DICKERSON/MCDONALD COUNTY PRESS Associate circuit judge John LePage speaks to the group gathered for the business leaders' breakfast at the McDonald County Library on April 10.

McDonald County leaders turned out April 10 for a business leaders' breakfast at the McDonald County Library in Pineville.

The event was part of the library's celebration of National Library Week. Tables were set up in the main part of the library, and food was served in the community room.

Library director Amy Wallain welcomed the group.

"We're very excited to be able to host the breakfast at the library," she said.

She noted the recent renovations to the library, which included opening up the community room to the rest of the library and putting in a new circulation desk.

She said that when people think about libraries, they probably think about books, which is correct, but the McDonald County Library has much more than books now. They have Chrome Books, charging stations and a revamped website to offer new resource links, she said.

The library offered 214 programs last year alone, and more than 4,000 people came to those programs, Wallain said.

The guest speaker for the morning was associate circuit judge John LePage. LePage is a friend of the library and has even filled in at children's storytime before, Wallain said.

LePage said he has always been a voracious reader. One thing he appreciates about the library is that, if it does not have a book, it can order it through the inter-library exchange. He said his mother was a great reader and she used to exchange paperbacks with her friends.

Mrs. Porter, his third- and fourth-grade teacher, read the "Little House on the Prairie" series to his classroom. He encouraged his own children to read the books.

His encouragement to read came from teachers and parents, he said. He remembers the "Weekly Reader" and the Book Carnival from his school days. He and his family all have library cards, he said.

"I'm a nerd and proud of it," he said.

He concluded by saying he could have saved a lot of money by coming to the library instead of going to bookstores and buying books, many of which he has only read once. He said he often donates his old books to the library.

Wallain said she often gets to visit school children and she asks them where their library is. They tell her where it is in their school building. Then she asks them if they can come back to the library when they are no longer students at the school, and they have never thought of that, she said. She then tells them they can come to her library.

"It's their lifetime library. We want them to make the transition to the library because strong communities are built through the library," she said.

After the event, Wallain said, "We had a great turnout. A lot of community leaders, people representing all areas of McDonald County. We're glad they decided to celebrate National Library Week with us."

General News on 04/25/2019