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Happy 60th birthday to the Southaven Library

The library began in the basement of a grocery store and shared space with a donut shop on Highway 51. Since then it has moved several times.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Southaven Library is celebrating 60 years of reading and fun in the north Mississippi community.

Wednesday, librarians and residents gathered for a birthday party.

Speakers at the event included Southaven mayor Darren Musselwhite and Desoto County curator Robert Long.

The library began in the basement of a grocery store and shared space with a donut shop on Highway 51. Since then it has moved several times.

Betty Moore, on the Board of Trustees and a member of Friends of the Library, remembers its humble beginnings.

“John Grisham came and signed his first book, A Time to Kill, down the street. Selling the book out of the trunk of his car at that time because he wasn’t established,” said Moore. “We are very involved in Southaven and something is always going on here. It’s a wonderful time to have the library, so big for us. Because we’re growing. Southaven, the library is growing all this time.”

For 14 years, the Southaven Library has been at its fourth location on Northwest Dr.

It is the largest public library in north Mississippi and boasts over 75,000 books and 20 public computers.

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