ONE OF
OUR LOCAL TREASURES IS THE PONCA CITY LIBRARY. LOCATED CENTRALLY DOWNTOWN, THE BEAUTY OF ITS ARCHITECTURE AND GROUNDS CAN BE ENJOYED SIMPLY BY A WALK OR DRIVE BY THE LOCATION. HOWEVER, TO TRULY UNDERSTAND THE ENORMITY OF WHAT WE POSSESS, THERE’S MUCH MORE TO UNDERSTAND, AND SINCE FEBRUARY IS LIBRARY LOVERS MONTH, IT SEEMS THE PERFECT TIME TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE HAVE AND WHY MANY LOVE LIBRARIES AND READING SO MUCH. Many of us have loved reading since we were kids. I know I have. While I loved reading since I was even much younger, the first series of books I remember getting lost in were Nancy Drew, which is probably why I still love good mysteries. I can get lost in them. For many of us, reading may be the only time we escape into quiet and allow our minds to truly get away from the stresses of this world. When I open a new book, I love the woodsypulp scent of the paper from which it is made, and the word biblichor is the word
that describes the comforting feeling that envelopes a person with the faint, musty smell of old books. I understand that it’s truly just a breakdown of the chemicals in ink and paper, but my brain feels so much more. If you can smell it right now while you are just thinking about walking into a small, used bookstore, we share that same book-nerd affinity. You can find the books you want housed in our local library. From information on the library’s own website, as well as posting by PC Main Street and PC Art Association, much history about the library was found. It has been a foundation of the community since 1904, when it started in the back of an insurance office on Grand Avenue. The first building at 5th and Grand was constructed through the generosity of Andrew Carnegie in 1910. The library was expanded with a Public Works Administration grant when the City purchased the land in 1935 and constructed the original 18,000 square foot facility, later adding another 10,000 sq. ft. The exterior is beautiful brick and terra cotta, and the inside houses a wealth of offerings for the community to enjoy or utilize. This diversity of offerings is one of importance to Kyla Radaker-James, a foster mom who enjoys bringing her foster children to the library: “It’s a joy to watch them become empowered to pick out whatever books/movies they want.
Story and Photos by Marlys Cervantes/Contributing Writer
See LIBRARY Continued on page 59
56 February 2022
