A Small Town Library with a Big Heart for Reading

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.