By Michelle Blaylock  

Library Manager 

William Bradford Huie  

Library of Hartselle 

Hello again from the William Bradford Huie Library of Hartselle. If it has been a bit since you have visited us, I encourage you to take time stop in and see us.  

The first thing you will notice is a change in the staff. Patricia Poe, our former assistant librarian, is no longer at the desk to greet patrons. She and her husband have moved to South Alabama. We wish them all the best! Although Mrs. Patricia left a big pair of shoes to fill, Alex VanKoughnett has taken the assistant librarian position and is doing a fantastic job. Our library assistants, Sarah Laughmiller and Chrissy Tucker, round out our fantastic team of librarians who work hard to meet our patrons’ and community’s needs. 

We have a great Summer Reading Program started June 3 and will run through Aug. 5.  We have something for every age group this year.  

We have Book Babies for our youngest patrons, ages birth to 24 months, and their caregivers Tuesday mornings at 10:30 a.m. This is a simple story time with an activity to introduce children to the library and the joy of books. This story time is led by Miss Sarah. She is also leading Little Listeners for our Pre-K children Wednesday mornings at 10:30 a.m. This group is geared for 2-5-year-olds. She will read an engaging story and have a take-home activity ready for them.  

For school age children, we have our Summer Reading Program Thursday mornings from at 10:30 a.m. This year we have planned a variety of guests, books and activities. Please stop by the library to pick up a Summer Reading Schedule or check our OPAC Page at Hartselle.org. Click services and then our William Bradford Huie Library link.  

Information is also available on the City of Hartselle Facebook page and the Huie Library League Facebook page.  

For our teens and adults, we have planned several craft classes and painting classes. Because of limited space, we do require teens and adults to pre-register. If necessary, we will schedule additional classes to accommodate popular classes with overflow.  

This year we have prizes for each age group. Prize drawings are going to be held Aug. 5.  We have worked hard to offer a couple of ways of entering the drawings.  

First, we are excited to have the opportunity to partner with local businesses to offer a “Hartselle Passport” to children in Pre-K through school-age as a new way of entering summer reading prize drawings. After picking up a passport at the library, visit the participating businesses and ask each one to stamp their corresponding square. There is no purchase necessary at any of the businesses, and it only takes eight stamps to equal one prize drawing entry.  

This great idea is the brainchild of Miss Alex and Miss Sarah. They did an amazing job putting it together. We are thankful to our local businesses for participating in this program.   

Another way to enter the summer reading prize drawings is to complete a Book Bingo. We have Book Bingos for Pre-K through adult. The completed bingos can be entered into the prize drawing of choice. You can complete as many Bingos as you want over the summer. There is no limit to how many Bingos you can get! 

As a reminder, we also have a book sale room. If you enjoy reading but really prefer to own the book, this is the place for you. We have two rooms that have books for both children and adults that are for sale at extremely low prices.  

We would love to hear from you. What programs would you like to see the library provide? Do you have a skill you would be willing to share in a club or as a small program? Hope to see you soon at the library!