On Tuesday, the Warren-Vicksburg County Public Library had a program to conclude its summer reading program, and according to Marie Cunningham, who is the children’s librarian, it had been a success.

I didn’t need to hear him tell me that though. I knew it by his face. She beamed from ear to ear.

Marie, whom I have known since I was a teenager, told me that of all the events offered during the 5 week program, over 1,000 children participated.

My hats off to Marie and the entire library team.

There is no doubt that each of them played a role in the success of the summer reading program, which was a major undertaking.

Reading is vital in many ways, and I’m sure this summer reading program will have a positive residual effect on Vicksburg. Not only did it put a fun spin on reading, but programs like this bring people together and build community.

And what would a summer reading program be without a leading reader?

This year it was Jim Williams, 7 years old.

He was quite an impressive young man and certainly mature beyond his years. In fact, Marie told me that he hosts a show on the library’s Facebook page called “Shark Bites with Jim” where he talks about different types of sharks.

When I asked Jim what he liked about reading, he told me he liked reading because it was fun and he liked to learn.

Reading is fun and you learn.

Although I may not have been as mature and motivated as Jim was when I was his age, one thing we have in common is participating in the library’s summer reading program. Although I don’t recall any of the library’s summer reading programs I participated in, being as elaborate as the one Marie and her fellow librarians offered this year, it had the same goal – to get reading children.

In my day, the launch program was held in the Old Library, built by the Carnegie Foundation and located at the corner of Veto and Walnut streets. The building now houses the city’s inspection service.

However, after the initial program, we no longer needed to go there every week to discover new books; our neighborhood had a bookmobile parked at the end of Columbia Avenue.

I remember us kids all waiting for that bus to roll down the hill and once it was there we all hustled and hunted for entertaining reads.

Bookmobiles are now a thing of the past, but thank goodness libraries are still in vogue.

Vicksburg is blessed with a public library and we are also blessed with dedicated staff who are engaged and care about our community.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Soon after, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter for the Vicksburg Post and editor of Vicksburg Living Magazine, which was awarded first place by the Mississippi Press Association. She was also the recipient of a first place award in the editorial division of the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest for “Best Feature Article”.

Terri is a graduate of Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in communications with a major in public relations.

Before coming to work at the Post just over 10 years ago, she freelanced at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay-at-home mom.

Terri is a member of Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a life member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and was a member of the Sampler Antique Club and the Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“Whether it’s staying informed about local government issues or hearing the stories of local residents, a local newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at the Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I can continue to grow and hone my skills while helping to share the stories in Vicksburg. When people ask me what I love most about my job, my answer is always “the people”.

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