The Pine Forest Young At Heart met Aug. 6 with group singing led by Flora Nell Hughes.

After the devotional by Hal Akridge, his wife, Carol, brought the program.

Carol gave a brief history of the American Library. According to information provided “the oldest library in American began with a 400-book donation by a Massachusetts clergyman, John Harvard, to a new university that eventually honored him by adopting his name. Harvard Library has grown to become the largest university library in the United States, with more than 10 million volumes.”

Carol went on to explain that in 1731, Ben Franklin and others founded the Library Company of Philadelphia. The British burned the initial collection of the Library of Congress during the War of 1812. Thomas Jefferson’s vast collection in 1815 was purchased by the library and used as a foundation to rebuild.

The first public library in the country opened in Peterborough, N.H., in 1833. Between 1881 and 1919, philanthropist Andrew Carnegie helped build more than 1,700 public libraries in the United States.

After the history, Carol gave an informative presentation on what was available for the public by just coming to “check it out” so to speak, at the Southwest Georgia Regional Library in Bainbridge.

Of course most already know about the Subregional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped with the talking books. But did you know that materials are loaned free to eligible readers in the United States and to U.S. citizens living abroad through a national network of state and local libraries. Materials may be returned by postage-free mail.

To be eligible for the Library of Congress program, one must be legally blind, cannot see well enough to read standard print, even if you wear glasses to correct your vision, are unable to handle print books or turn pages because of a physical handicap or if you are certified by a medical doctor as having a reading disability, due to an organic dysfunction, which is of sufficient severity to prevent reading in a conventional manner.

Other programs at the library Carol said were the summer programs for the children and youth, children through age 9 years must have a parent/caregiver at least age 16 or older in the vicinity of the child except for the story time or other library programs. Even then the caregiver must remain in the library building.

Ages 10 through 17 may use the library on their own as long as they adhere to the patron conduct policy and library patron behavior rules. Parents are still responsible for behavior of children in this age group.

Public access computers are available for use at the library, as well as basic computer classes, but one must comply by the Southwest Georgia Regional Library Board of Electronic Network Policy. Administrative rules are given when one comes for this program.

Library cards are free to all Georgia residents, land owners, students and persons employed in Georgia. Carol said there are many services available for the public at the library. There are meeting rooms; Friends of the Library, which is a non-profit organization that enhances library services and programs, and of course there is still the bookmobile for those who can’t for some reason get to the library. The schedule for Climax is the second Wednesday at Parker Park and the pavilion from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

If you can’t get to the library to investigate some of these programs, come see what is on the bookmobile in Climax. Or better still call the library for more information. Carol said phone her at 248-2665, Ext. 113, or her e-mail is cthormton@swgrl.org, or Taryn Brown, youth services and community relation librarian, Ext. 114, -mail is tbrown@swgrl.org.