This interview was recorded Wednesday, June 9, at the Athens Partnership Center.
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On this episode of the County Report, we talk with Henderson County Clint W. Murchison Memorial Library Director Michelle Zenor. She is a graduate of Southern Methodist University and received her Master's in Library Science (MLS) from Texas Women's University and a Master's in English from the University of Texas at Tyler. She has been the director of the Henderson County Library since 2018.
Last year, the library celebrated its 100th birthday.
The library is located at 121 South Prairieville Street in Athens and serves the entire county.
Topics discussed in this podcast include:
I. Collections (2:47)
The library has about 40,000 items you can check out. That includes books, DVDs, and books on CD. They also have access to about 35,000 items online that can be checked out.
"Altogether, we have about 75,000 items you can access with your library card, which is free to residents of Henderson County," Zenor said.
II. Services (3:28)
The library provides services like making copies, fax, or scanning the hard copy of a document into a digital document. These are just a few examples.
While there are charges for some services, "our goal is to be the cheapest place in town to do this," Zenor said.
III. Programs (4:49)
"A lot of people don't realize that the public library has a busy season and it is summer," Zenor said.
The library's Summer Reading Program has been very popular this year with hundreds of students participating. The program also includes live performances at the Henderson County Performing Arts Center and field trips.
You can sign up for the Summer Reading Program through July.
IV. Joining the Library (8:18)
A library card is still your passport to adventure and county residents can get their Henderson County Library card free.
"We want you to have a library card," Zenor said. "Everybody is welcome to come get a library card."
V. Young Children (11:18)
"Our most important patrons are the littlest," said Zenor, "because reading is fundamental."
The Henderson County Library has programs for children that begin soon after birth.
"It's never too soon to start reading to a child," Zenor said.
VI. Staff (13:35)
There are seven staff members at the library.
"I work with the most creative, most dedicated, most helpful ladies that we have here in the county," Zenor said. "And I am so proud of them and I love working with them every day."
VII. The Steps Project (15:25)
Artist Maddie Hanratty turned the front steps of the library into a work of art recently.
"She spent almost the entire month of May hand-painting, freestyle, the steps to look like a stack of four children's books," Zenor said.
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