As a city, we are fortunate to have such a strong asset that continuously gives back to the community — The Selma-Dallas County Public Library. Celebrating National Library Week, several residents came forth with their personal stories of how the library has personally helped them.

All residents who were interviewed praised the library for its many resources, supportive staff and the warm, friendly environment it offers. We couldn’t agree more with these residents, as we too believe that the library serves as a strong pillar in our community.

And although National Library Week has come to a close, we believe Selma and Dallas County residents should continue to celebrate how great our public library is. Becky Nichols, library director, strives to provide resources for residents of all ages. The children’s department alone has grown and prospered greatly within the past few years — and we only expect it to get better.

In June, the library will launch its new e-book program, which we expect will provide a great asset to our community. Although we may not have some of the same amenities of larger city libraries, we are thankful for the excellent service our library continues to faithfully provides.