THREE RIVERS AREA — Members of the Friends of Cleburne County Library said residents and visitors to Heber Springs love to read. In order to support and encourage good reading habits in the area, the club owns and regularly operates a bookshop in downtown Heber Springs.
“We are strictly a nonprofit,” said Phyllis Taylor, president of the club.
All proceeds from the bookstore go to help theCleburne County Library.
“They have purchased a lot of equipment, books, T-shirts for summer reading programs and numerous other supplies,” member Jean Beisenstein said.
The club’s job is to support the library in any way possible, and several years ago, club members realized they were holding book drives and sales so regularly that they decided to make them regular events.
The Friends of the Library started their bookshop seven years ago in an abandoned building at the fairgrounds.
“We had no water, no heat, no cooling,” Taylor said. “After about five years, it got to be a problem because most of the volunteers are over 50.”
Taylor said that at that point the club members knew they would either have to stop holding their regular bookshop hours or take a leap of faith and move into a new facility.
Two years ago, they moved to a building in historic downtown Heber Springs, where the bookstore continues to offer a great selection of books to the community.
Librarian Zac Cothern said the reading community in Heber Springs is grateful for the club’s service, as is the library.
“They raise funds for the library, which allows me to do a lot of things that, otherwise, I would not be able to do,” Cothern said. “They do so much with so little.”
Taylor said that when new books are donated, the library is able to pick which books should be added to its collection. Thelibrary also trades books to the store when they become less popular or when their condition begins to deteriorate.
One thing is sure, Taylor said. Heber Springs residents love to read.
“The biggest share of books that are donated are [from] retired folks that have moved here, and they’ve either moved and brought their books with them and give them away, or they are here and they read alot,” Taylor said.
Taylor said lake tourists and campers also participate in the store.
“Campers will come into town and buy a whole bag full of books,” Taylor said. “Some of them even bring us books.”
Taylor, a Memphis native who retired in Heber Springs several years ago, said she had noticed that many lifelong Heber Springs residents are not reading at an adult level.
“They have not been fortunate enough to get a good education,” Taylor said. “But we encourage everyone who comes into our store to be comfortable reading at whatever level they can read.”
The bookstore, on Arkansas 25 North, is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays and Sundays. For more information, call the Cleburne County Library at (501) 362-2477.
- czilk@ arkansasonline.com
Three Rivers, Pages 121 on 06/27/2010