The Rowland Public Library is right in downtown Rowland at 113 E. Main St. and it is a little gem of a library. It provides a range of services to the community.

The public access computers are almost always in use. Library customers use the computers to apply for jobs, file for benefits, take care of online banking, research every topic imaginable, and to keep in touch with friends and family. In fact, the computers log over 250 sessions a month. That doesn’t even factor in the number of people who take advantage of the library’s wireless Internet access and log on with a laptop, smart phone, or tablet computer. Wireless is especially valuable for students who are earning their degrees online and it might surprise you how many people choose that option.

The library has a good selection of books with something for every reader. There is an attractive children’s area for our youngest customers where the baby books are displayed. Rowland has a nice collection of picture books for preschoolers, lots of fiction for elementary readers and an expanding selection of young adult fiction. For the adults, there is a wide selection of nonfiction, as well as fiction in both hard cover and paperback. New books arrive every month. Come by often to find your next read. In addition to books, the library has videos and DVDs to check out for free.

The Rowland Public Library is open Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 2:30 to 6 p.m. and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Our Youth Services Librarian, Katie Huneycutt, is on location every Thursday at 11 a.m. with a story time program for 3- to 5-year-olds that includes reading, singing, dancing, and crafts. Beginning June 13, she will switch to the Summer Reading Program schedule. Programs in Rowland will be held on Wednesday afternoons at 4 p.m. for children from preschool through fifth grade. Summer Reading registration will begin on May 29. Check the website for program times and locations for the entire system. That address is www.robesoncountylibrary.org.

Annie Thompson Ellerbe is the librarian in charge of operations in Rowland. Ellerbe is a genuinely welcoming person who provides excellent service to all those who come in. She does an outstanding job of keeping her collections organized and inviting. She also knows her way around technology and will be glad to help you troubleshoot problems that you encounter on the computers.

I want to thank the town of Rowland and all the communities in Robeson County for their support of our local libraries. Over the summer I plan to spotlight each of the libraries in the county. Never underestimate the power of reading and literature to transform lives.

Catie Roche is the director at the Robeson County Public library. You can reach her at croche@robesoncountylibrary.org. Catie has just finished reading “Little Bee: a Novel” by Chris Cleave.