By Becky Nichols
Nichols is director of the Selma-Dallas County Public Library.

National Library Week is celebrated every year with a commemorative theme that is designed to inspire and motivate folks to read and enjoy their local library. Fortunately for your library, this 2017 theme, “Libraries Transform,” is not a new one! We experience its power every day as more than 200 people come in and out of our doors.

From school children to parents, to GED students, folks attending a program or a class at the library- from all these categories and a million more reasons- your library is transforming people every day.

Such a claim is only possible because of the amazing, daily schedule of the dedicated staff of this library with whom it has been my honor to work. They are the stars of the show and if there is any transformation here of patron lives or problems solved — that victory belongs entirely to these amazing people.

Of all ages and stages of life, each staff member brings a unique intelligence and a special wisdom. These resources they share liberally with patrons in solving the many digital issues of the Internet.

These issues -— such as child support, food stamp balances and public housing can be life changing or life altering to people. Staff members can often be seen sitting side by side with patrons helping them to figure out the many layers required to answer their problems.

So this incredible library staff does it all. They work beside patrons, inspire patrons and listen to patrons. This genuine heartfelt transformation at the Selma Dallas County Public Library goes on, through the year, through the hot days and cold days, the rainy days, the days when the heat is out and the long hot summer days — even the days when the air is out!

One of the questions we discuss when new folks join our library team is the use of head and heart. We need the head, of course, because of the above scenarios. It takes knowledge to handle the Internet.

But life at the library also includes a large helping of heart.

Heart because life can be tough for many, harder for some and impossible for quite a few.

People need help to unravel complicating circumstances. Sometimes this just means a listening ear.  And despite the nine to six, hectic movement of the average library day, library staff manage to find the time to unravel challenges and offer helping hands and hearts.

Libraries across the United States can and do transform people. Knowledge is a power that when constructively harnessed can certainly change lives.

This April 9-15, 2017, has been established as National Library Week, so we invite you to come and visit us soon and experience the joy that can come from reading a good book, or attending a class or just visiting your friendly downtown library.

During that week, we invite you to bring any overdue library books and have your card cleared of fines.

In response to clearing your card, we hope that you will donate to our Children’s Summer Program this year called, “Build a Better World!” Your support will help with the growing demands of that eight week event.

Even if you have no fines, you can donate to this important fund.

Through the years, the library has celebrated much in our fine community and this year, we again thank our city and county governments for their support along with those who continue to help us in many ways. Included in this appreciation are also our many volunteers, our wonderful library board and all those organizations that help throughout the year.

Our greatest celebration is in serving you. Thank you all for being such an important part of the Selma and Dallas County community of library friends.