The Christian County Library Ozark Branch has been in its current location since 1972, but on August 8th, 2017, the branch re-opened after its most extensive renovation in more than 30 years. In addition, the library recently completed a renovation of its gazebo to both more closely match the library’s new look, and to create an outdoor gathering area to serve as an extension of the library for the community to gather, work, eat, and learn. The gazebo was a 1998 gift from Genella Kissock Sondhi, and was renovated this year with a memorial gift from Anne Appleby. The gazebo renovation included the addition of lighting, electricity, and new outdoor furniture so library users can potentially plug in laptops while using the library’s free Wi-Fi.
To celebrate both the one-year anniversary after renovation and premier the new look of the gazebo to the public, Christian County Library Ozark Branch is hosting an anniversary “shindig” and gazebo ribbon cutting on Saturday, August 10. Community members can drop by the library for refreshments, live music, a make-and-take craft, and a fun activity for kids. The library will kick off the celebration with the gazebo ribbon cutting at 10:00 a.m., and other activities will follow throughout the morning until 12:00 p.m. The branch is located at 1005 N. 4th Ave., just across Riverside Road from the Finley River Park.
“We would especially love to invite folks who haven’t had a chance to stop by the Ozark Branch since the renovation,” said the library’s Executive Director, Geri Godber. “We still get people every day stopping in for the first time in a while, and we continue to hear great things about how bright, open, and clean everything looks now.”
August is also the perfect time to make sure children have and know how to use library cards before school starts in the fall. The library offers an extensive selection of not only books for all ages, but online resources that can be used from a home computer with a library card, including tools for young children learning to read, tools for elementary school students covering social studies, science, and a variety of other topics, and research databases appropriate for high schoolers, and library staff are happy to help identify the resources that will help your student complete their assignments.
Godber added, “And if you’re not ready to give up on summer yet, you can come to our anniversary shindig and check out a fishing pole from the Ozark Branch.”
Christian County Library cards are free to all county residents. Call (417)581-2432 for more information.