History of the Banned Library

Welcome back to the Banned Library, the centerpiece of the town square of Bannville, MS, a small town nestled deep in the piney woods of Mississippi.

The creation of the Geraldine Godson Banned Memorial Library and Farmer’s Market was based on a bet.  Books as a whole were not easy to come by to the gentle loggers that founded the area, so when Geraldine Godson bet Theodore "Ted" Banned a library could not only thrive in the fledgling town of Bannville but become a cultural Mecca that would draw scholars from miles around, Ted scoffed.  The bet was simple:  Geraldine could found the library with money given by the Banned family and at least three fourths of the population must have a library card at the end of three months (about 300 counting county and city population).  If she won, Geraldine could keep the library with additional funds given by the Banned Family for all time.  If he won, Geraldine would marry Ted.

With the terms agreed, the library was opened on the August 7th, 1879, just in time for school to start.  

Library Threatens Salvation Army Prom Dresses

The Union County library is looking for prom dresses for a second annual prom dress and accessory sale at the library to be held soon.

I struggle to find a point to this.  Yes, it is a community event that will bring people to the library.  Yes, it provides a service to those people looking for cheap and nice dresses.  Does this help the library mission, though?  Does this mean we can expand the library to overtake the local Salvation Army?

I can picture that.  The library staff literally going to the matresses, taking on the bright boys in red of the S.A. over an estate sale of a retiree.  Can the library get the headboard and half the coffee cup collection?  Those could fund next year's performance of Marco the Exquisite's magic show for the summer reading program.  That monkey lamp?  It could be gold on eBay. 

Hell, let's expand the book sale to include a farmer's market, open extra early Sunday morning.  I bet that will up the checkouts on the new James Patterson.
Union County library seeks prom dresses, accessories - Palladium-Item