"If you cannot be content with what you have received, be thankful for what you have escaped." I found that quote to be apropos as we are during Thanksgiving 2021 while the pandemic continues. Here at Rhoads Memorial Library, we pause to reflect upon our many blessings and to thank many folks who have aided in our success.
Castro County elected officials, along with City of Dimmitt elected officials, are to be recognized for allocating taxpayers' funds and moral support which enable us to keep our doors open to provide the public with services such as faxing, copying, printing, scanning, laminating, Wifi use, and rental of a meeting room. We also offer exam proctoring.
We have 21,000+ items to loan out, such as books, eBooks, audiobooks, movies, music CDs, magazines, and other periodicals, and there are seven computers designated for public use. For onsite perusal, we have several Dimmitt Bobcat yearbooks and bound copies of previous years' Castro County News.
We are especially grateful to our Advisory Board members, comprised of Castro County residents who give generously of their time to guide us in matters both great and small. Members are Zetha Collins, Carolyn Watts, and Karen Durham, all of Dimmitt, along with Virgil Wilhelm of Nazareth and Julia Bennett of Hart. Genell Craig leads Dimmitt Book Club, a group that supports us in many ways and has throughout the years.
Additionally, we appreciate assistance by Felice Acker, Castro County agent with Texas A&M Extension Service. She has proven to be an asset to us, especially in youth services. Her handling of Terrific Tuesday programs, which evolved into take-and-make kits necessitated by the pandemic, and creation of Young Scientists' kits has been so helpful to us.
We are thankful, too, for volunteers and those performing community service. They assist us in cleaning or improving our facility and grounds. Generous donors of gently used books and movies enable us to expand our offering of checkouts beyond our budget. Harrington Library Consortium personnel negotiate lower prices in computer hardware and software and provide eBooks. The Texas State Library and Archives Commission provides additional databases and interlibrary loans, which allow us to offer so much more to our patrons.
I am especially grateful for a wonderful staff. You may have noticed my absence the past few days, due to health issues encountered by my husband and me. Sulema and Patty have bravely soldiered on, keeping the library's doors open while providing exceptional service to all who enter.
Finally, we appreciate our patrons, who provide us with our "raison d'etre." (Don't be overly impressed that I know this French phrase meaning "the reason for being." It is about the only French I know!)
Although we are closed the next few days for Thanksgiving, we will re-open at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 30. We will begin preparation for the Yuletide season and change our display of the month accordingly. Our meeting room will be the site of Dimmitt Book Club's Dec. 8 meeting, which will commence at 2 p.m. that day. Watch this space for details!
Until then, we wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!