A
Small Town Library With A Big Heart For Reading
Located
in the wilds of southwest Rankin County, the Puckett Library is a well-kept
little gem of a secret, which is known for “300 good friendly folks and a few
old soreheads”. A few of those “friendly
folks” are very loyal patrons of the library and help promote activities and
programs around the small community. These
are the Friends of the Puckett Library, and I wouldn’t be able to host most of
the programs without their help. This little library is not just a place with
books; it’s a gathering place for the community to hear local news and
community developments.
The
Puckett Library was formally opened with a dedication program and open house on
Sunday, February 5, 1967, with former Gov. Ross Barnett as principal speaker
for the occasion. Mrs. James Martin chairman of the Puckett Library Board
presided, with the invocation by Rev. Kenneth Pickens, pastor of Cato Church.
The welcome was given by Miss Zulah Purvis, secretary-treasurer of the board of
trustees of the county library system. The new library, already containing over
2,000 books, occupies a portion of the recently built Puckett City Hall.
I
have been the branch manager here at the library for almost twenty-three years, and
I still hear people say, “I didn’t know Puckett had a library, and where is
it?” I’ve lived here in Puckett for 32 years, and at one time, I didn’t know
that Puckett had a library. Avid readers who move into our little town find the
library and the librarian first. Non-readers need to be led here.
I
find this incredibly amusing since the library has been here for many years. I am the third branch manager that the Puckett
Library has had. I have followed two very great ladies, Mrs. Dot Burnham, and
Mrs. Betty James. When Mrs. Dot was branch manager, the library was in one small
room in the Fire Department/City Hall. A closet would have been larger! I
really don’t know how long it was there before Mrs. Betty became branch manager,
and it was moved over to the next building, which once was a branch of the
Health Department. The library has gone
through many transformations over the years. We have since added a large room (10
years ago) onto the old building, which enlarged the library to twice the size
it once was. More space equates to more books with a total collection of
16,960 items! The original building, inside and outside, has been remodeled to
accommodate the handicapped and elderly. The Children and Young Adult sections have expanded and split into two different rooms. It’s so nice to hear the giggles of young
readers discovering books.
The
citizens of Puckett are mainly a commuter population, so the library has
adapted to meet their needs. Hours
reflect the work hours of the patrons.
This allows for check-outs after 5:00 on Mondays. The library is open in the afternoons to meet
the needs of school kids and teachers.
Puckett
is one of the smallest towns in Rankin County, but it has an active library
with available internet, Freegal for music and Flipstir for magazines, retro,
and recent DVDs, and most importantly, books. If you need information about the
town or just want to see some friendly faces, come on by the Puckett Public Library.
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