The Library of Hattiesburg Petal & Forrest County
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Use the Internet at the library
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Making every dollar count
Its never been more important to search out the best bargains wherever they can be found - and the library delivers service to the community totaling in the millions of dollars. Whats the library worth to you? Click the Top Value stamps above and see.
My Library ...
In light of the hard economic times and budget cuts facing public agencies, we asked our users to share with us what the library meant to them. We were gratified and moved by what they told us. Below is just one of many rewarding comments we received. We'd like to share this one and others with you, and invite you to tell us about your library experiences.
I don't know where to begin to tell you what the library means to me as well as other members of the community. I moved to Hattiesburg almost 20 years ago and it's one of the first places I visited to get information about our city. When the new library was built, it's the first place I took visiting relatives to see what a beautiful building it is with the mural and the exceptional catalog of books and other materials. Those that live in cities 2 and 3 times as big as Hattiesburg commented that their library is not as nice or as well stocked. When the Petal branch was built, it made it much more convenient for me to drop off and pick up books. I never go more than a week without visiting one of the branches. When I go the the Petal branch, I notice the little kids grabbing as many books as they can carry asking mommy if they can take these home too; and the faces of the kids during story time. Then there's the little lady who rides her motorized wheelchair several blocks up the street from her assisted living apartment to get her only form of entertainment she can afford - books and dvds from her library. I see the job hunters coming in to get help creating a resume on the computer since they don't have one at home; others searching online for information on jobs in the area. I see the kids coming in after school to check out books for their book reports and little gray haired ladies perusing the large print books for some afternoon reading. I see Mrs. Smith loading up her bags of books to take to the nursing home so the residents can have the books they've requested. I go over to the Hattiesburg branch at lunch and see the senior citizens reading the daily papers and magazines that they can no longer afford to subscribe to. After school the computer rooms are filled with students doing research and working on assignments on the library computers. Usually you can't find an available computer. Some days you can go in the back rooms of the library and see senior citizens and other people who have come to volunteer their services by putting protectice covers on the new books and helping out in other ways that make them feel like a valuable member of the community. There's almost always some sort of cultural, historical or art exhibit of interest to be viewed in the exhibit hall. There are meeting rooms for groups to utilize. There are book clubs to be joined. You can bring your lunch and sit out in the courtyard by the fountain and read if you need to take a break from your hectic day. Our libraries are a hub of knowledge and entertainment that benefit so many people in the community - I would hate to think where we would be without them.
