Summer Reading “Unearth a Story” is coming soon to the Millard Oakley Public Library! Starting June 1, you can register on ReadSquared to count your child’s reading and play games to win prizes! Our first entertainer, Bob Tartar, will be here on Thursday, June 4, at 10:30. Some programs we do require that you pre-register your child to ensure we have enough supplies. Stop by the library to pick up the forms and get a copy of the schedule!

The Library Board will have a special called meeting on Wednesday, June 3, at 4:30.
A copy of this agenda is as follows:

Millard Oakley Public Library
Board Meeting
June 3, 2026
SPECIAL CALLED

1. Call the meeting to order.
2. Attendance.
3. Reading and approval of minutes from the May meeting.
4. Public Comment
5. Consider changes to Library Board By-Laws:
6. Article II Section 1: Change “Officers of the Board shall be elected during the June meeting and shall serve one fiscal year (July 1-June 30)” to “Officers of the Board shall be elected during the July meeting and shall serve one fiscal year (July 1-June 30).
7. Add Article III: Meetings. Section 3 to read, “A governing body shall, for each public meeting, reserve a period for public comment to provide the public with the opportunity to comment on matters that are germane to the items on the agenda for the meeting.”
8. Approve board member appointments for expiring terms:
9. Replacement for Helen Carter, who resigned. Nominate Phillip Talley, County Commissioner, to finish her term, which expires in June 2027. He would then be eligible to serve two additional 3-year terms.
10. Reappoint Brenda Winningham, who is serving an unexpired term. She is eligible to serve two additional 3-year terms, with a new expiration date of June 30, 2029, for the new term.
11. Reappoint Bruce Godfrey, who is serving an unexpired term. He is eligible to serve two additional 3-year terms, with a new expiration date of June 30, 2029, for the new term.
12. Replacement for Thelma Danner, who finishes up her term in July. She will be eligible for reappointment in July 2029.
13. Next meeting Tuesday, July 20, 2026 @ 4:30 p.m.

New books added to the library collection recently include: “The Patient One” by Shelley Shepard Gray, “Midsummer Mysteries Short Stories: From the Crime Writers Association,” “Paleohacks Keto Slow Cooker Volume 2,” “The Moonglow Sisters” by Lori Wilde, “The Kingdom” by Jo Nesbo, “The Wedding People” by Alison Espach, “The Paper Girl of Paris” by Jordyn Taylor, “The Orphan House” by Ann Bennett, and “Our Place On The Island” by Erika Montgomery.

The Millard Oakley Public Library is ready for another month full of programs and events for our visitors. We will be closed on Tuesday, May 5, so all of our staff can attend training in Cookeville. County offices will be closed for the state and primary elections. Our Crafters Club (9:00 am on Tuesday) and Book Club (11:00 am on Tuesday) will still meet at their regular times.

Our adult Bingo will be on Wednesday, May 6, starting at 11 am.

Story Time is every Thursday at 10:30. Angie is working on getting our summer reading activities lined up, starting with the school dentistry services on May 28. Bob Tarter’s Live Animals will be here on June 4, and there will be a handmade pottery class on June 11. Some events, such as the pottery class, will need preregistration to ensure we have enough supplies for every child. Please stop by the library this month to ask about the program and how to register, as we Dig Up Stories this summer!

For those who are interested in genealogy, there will be a genealogy festival on Saturday, May 9, beginning at 9:00.

The Millard Oakley Library Board will meet on Tuesday, May 19, at 4:30. These meetings are open to the public for anyone who is interested in the workings of the library.

The library will be closed on Monday, May 25, for Memorial Day.

Teen Night will be on Tuesday, May 26, starting at 4:00 pm. Our teens will show off their artistic talents by painting our front windows for the summer.

Several new books have been added to our collection recently. New titles include “The Corpse With the Granite Heart,” “The Corpse With the Opal Fingers,” and “The Corpse With the Turquoise Toes” by Cathy Ace; “Twice” by Mitch Albom; “The Last Woman of Warsaw” by Judith Batalion; “The Secret of Secrets” by Dan Brown” “The Heir of Whitestone” by Catherine Coulter; “So Into You” by Kathleen Fuller; “Crazy Wanda” by Terry Goodkind; “More Than Enough” by Anna Quindlen; “Framed in Death” and “Stolen in Death” by J.D. Robb; “Revenge Prey” by John Sanders; and “The Bookshop of 99 Doors” are some of the new adult fiction titles.

For our younger readers, we have a new STEAM kit on learning cursive writing, as well as several new books. “Ocean Days With Crab” by Ryan Barone, “Flat Stanley and the Bees” by Jeff Brown, “Splat the Cat and the Lemonade Stand” by Laura Driscoll, several new books in the “Diary of a 6^th Grade Ninja” series by Marcus Emerson, “Epic History Jokes” by Joe King, “Froggy Rescue” by Paul Morton, and “The Great Axolotl Escape” by John Sazaklis are some of the new titles.

The Millard Oakley Library offers so much more than books. Notary services, Library of Things, WiFi hotspots, fax services, and 3-D printing are just a few of the things available. Come by the library and see all that is available!

“Books are a uniquely portable magic.” — Stephen King.

The Millard Oakley Library Board will meet for a regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, at 4:30.
The Friends of the Library will have their spring book sale on Friday, March 27, from 9:00 until 5:00 and Saturday, March 28, from 9:00 until 1:00.
The Friends will provide the bags.
Come and help the Friends raise money for library supplies and more new books!

Did someone say new books?

There are several new titles in the library!
New fiction titles include the following:
“The Wild Flower” by J. L. Beck, “Head Game” by Tim Downs, “Lifted by the Wings of Destiny” by Ginny Dye, “The Correspondent” by Virginia Evans, “Behind Enemy Bylines” (a large print) by Kathleen Fuller, “The Perils of Poison and Former Husbands” by Rachel Gates, “This Is Not About Us” by Allegra Goodman, “When Blood Lies” by C. S. Harris, “The Wonderful World of James Herriot” by James Herriot, “The Crown Conspiracy” by Connie Mann, “The Change” by Kirsten Miller, “One of Us Is Dead” by Jeneva Rose, “You’re Safe Here” by Leslie Stephens, “Cold Zero” by Brad Thor, and “Crown of War and Shadow” by J. R. Ward.
If you would like to read nonfiction instead, we have
“Franklin Barbecue: A Meat Smoking Manifesto” by Aaron Franklin, “Brain Reboot: New Treatments For Healing Depression” by Michael Henry, M.D., “Momma Cusses: A Field Guide to Responsive Parenting & Trying Not To Be The Reason Your Kid Needs Therapy” by Gwenna Laithland, “Greatness Code: The Formula Behind Unstoppable Success” by Alan C. Guarino, “Gettysburg Rebels” by Tom McMillan, ”Medicare 101: A Crash Course in Federal Health Insurance” by Kiomberly Lankford, and “We The Women: The Hidden Hers Who Shaped America” by Norah O’Donnell.

There are also several new books for our juvenile and teen readers now available. Come in and see what’s new!

“Nothing ever seems impossible in spring, you know.” L.M. Montgomery, “Anne of Ingleside”

The Millard Oakley Public Library will be closed on Monday, January 19, 2026, for the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

The Library Board will meet on Tuesday, January 20 at 4:30 for their regular meeting.

The Friends of Overton County Library will meet on Thursday, January 15 at 4:30.

Story Time is every Thursday at 10:30.

Teen night is January 27 at 4:00.

Check out our website at https://millardoakleylibrary.org/ or our Facebook page for a complete copy of our schedule.

We would like to remind everyone that our winter weather policy concerning returning materials is our concern is safety of our patrons first. If winter weather makes travel to the library difficult, you can call us to renew your material, log into your online, or bring it in when the weather clears. We do extend material if school is called off for weather.

New titles in at the library include “Stan Lee’s The Devil’s Quintet: The Armageddon Code” by Jay Bonansinga, “The Red Grove” by Tessa Fontaine, “Fringe” by Michael Frederick, “Because You’re Mine” by Rea Frey, “Yellowface” by R. F. Kuang, “How to Find a Nameless Fae” by A. J. Lancaster, “Paradise, WV” by Rob Rufus, “The Good, The Bad, and the Aunties” by Jesse Q Sutanto, “The Lifeguards” by Amanda Eyre Ward, and “Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend” by MJ Wassmer.

New DVD’s at the library include “Black Phone 2”, “Bugonia”, and “Soul on Fire”.

“Censorship reflects a society’s lack of confidence in itself.” ― Potter Stewart

The staff is proud to announce that our new automatic doors have been installed and are ready to be used!  We hope that this improvement will make it more convenient for every library user.  Please stop by the library and push our buttons!

Need a reason to come by the library?  Our Crafters Club meets every Tuesday at 9:00.

Story Time is every Thursday.   Special guest Ranger Brown will be here on

December 18^th to  share with everyone about migratory birds as well as the eagle watch trips that occur each January on Dale Hollow Lake.

                The Friends of the Library will meet on Thursday, December 18 at 4:30.

                There will be a blood drive from 2:00 until 4:00 on December 29.  All donors will receive a $25.00 gift card.
 If just 15 people donate during this drive, the library will also receive $100.00 to be used for new materials.

                The library will be closed on Wednesday, December 24, and Thursday, December 25, for the Christmas holiday.  We will close on January 1, 2026 for the New Year Holiday.
We wish everyone a safe and joyous holiday!

                The library board will hold a special call meeting on January 6, 2026 at 4:30.

                Need new reading material for the holidays?  Concerned about getting stuck at home with nothing to read?  The library has received several new books in that are ready to be checked out.  New titles include “Gone Before Goodbye” by Harlan Coben and Reese Witherspoon, “Savage Hearts” by J. T. Geissinger, “The Cinnamon Bun Book Store” by Laurie Gilmore, “Otherwise Engaged” by Susan Mallery, The Imposs!ble Fortune” by Richard Osman, and “Tourist Season” by Brynne Weaver.  For those who like Fantasy or Sci-Fi, we have “By the Horns” by Ruby Dixon, “Hemlock & Silver” by T. Kingfisher, and “Sounds Like Love” and “The Seven Year Slip” by Ashley Poston.  There are also several new books for our teens, beginning readers, and board books.

                Our bad weather policy is that any item checked out will be extended if schools are closed due to icy roads.  While we would like material to come back, we do not want to risk anyone’s safety returning it.  You are welcome to call to renew your material, or you can log into your account online and renew it yourself.

                 “Open a book and you are opening a door. But all these books just remind me of worlds beyond worlds. They are an expression of freedom. As we know the first thing dictators do is control books, control what people are allowed to read.”  Amy Tan.

The Millard Oakley Public Library has a full calendar for the month of November,
starting with Senior Bingo on November 5 at 11:00 a.m. This month the theme is “Game Day”, so wear your favorite team’s jersey and join us for games of bingo, refreshments, friends, and fun.

            The Library will be closed on November 11 for Veteran’s Day.
         Thank you to all who are serving or who have served in our military.

            For the first time, the library will host the Tennessee Justice Bus on Tuesday, November 18, from 10:00 until 2:00.  A volunteer attorney will be here to answer your legal questions and help with statewide legal resources.  This is a free service to assist our citizens with non-criminal legal questions.

            Also on November 18, the Millard Oakley Public Library Board will be meeting at 4:30.
These meetings are open to the public.

            The Friends of the Library will meet on Thursday, November 20 at 4:30.
This wonderful organization has been instrumental in assisting the library purchase new items, craft supplies, and refreshments for our programs.  They are always looking for new volunteers to join.

            The Friends of the Library will hold a Bag Book Sale on Friday, November 21 from 12:00 until 5:00, and Saturday, November 22 from 9:00 until 2:00. 
This special sale will be only bags of books for $2.00 each.
  The doors will not open until 12:00 on Friday. 
This is a great way to help support the Friends and stock up on reading material for the coming cold weather.

            The Library will be closed November 27 through November 30 for the Thanksgiving Holidays. 
We will reopen December 1.

            There are many other organizations that meet at the library.  Stop in and pick up a copy of our monthly calendar for a full schedule, or check us out on our Facebook page or our website at https://millardoakleylibrary.org/

            There are new books and movies in the library.
 New titles include: “Death by Misadventure” by Tasha Alexander, “All That Remains” by Tracey Bateman, “Thus With a Kiss I Die” by Christina Dodd, “An Extravagant Death” by Charles Finch, “Why Kill the Innocent” by C. S. Harris, “The Library of Hellebore” by Cassandra Khaw, “What Happened to the McCrays” by Tracey Lange, and “25 Alive” by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro.

            New DVD’s at the library include: “Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare”, “The Last of Us” season 1 and 2, “F1”, “Superman”, “The Bad Guys 2”, “28 Years Later”,  “The Fantastic 4: First Steps”, “Ballerina”, and “I Know What You Did Last Summer”.

            “Public libraries are the heart and soul of any community. They are a place to read and think and browse and dream.” — Mary McNear 

The Friends of the Library would like to remind everyone that the Fall book sale will be on this Friday and Saturday in the meeting room at the library.  
The sale starts Friday at 9:00 with hardcover books just $1.00 until 3:00.
 From 3:00 until 5:00, books are just $1.00 per bag.
Saturday hours are 9:00 until 2:00, with books just $1.00 per bag. 
This is a great way to increase your personal library and help support the Friends of the Library and library programs.

               The library Storybook Walk has been completed.
Thanks to the City of Livingston, Michael Hayes and the city park employees, and Jerry Schetterer, a story has been placed down at Livingston City Park.  Storybook Trails transform outdoor spaces into interactive reading experiences. Families can walk, read, and play together as they journey through child-height story panels—fostering literacy, movement, and shared moments outdoors.
The official ribbon cutting will happen on October 16 at 10:30, but it is open for everyone to enjoy now.

               The Millard Oakley Library will take part of Falloween this year, which will be at Central Park this year on October 25.
  Please stop by and say hello.

                The library, and all Overton County offices will be closed on October 13.

               New fiction titles at the library include “Thus With a Kiss I Die” by Christina Dodd, “A Death in the Small Hours” by Charles Finch, “Sister Stardust” by Jane Green, “When Falcons Fall” by C. S. Harris, “The Library at Hellebore” by Cassandra Khaw, “Jack” by Marilynne Robinson, “Moccasin Track” by Reid Lance Rosenthal, and “Sunshine and Starfish” by Regina Walker.

               New nonfiction titles include “Eat to Treat” by Maggie Berghoff, “The Sporty One: My Life as a Spice Girl” by Melanie C., “Mission Driven: The Path to a Life of Purpose” by Mike Hayes, “Princess in the Night” by Joseph Howard, “Mistakes That Made Me a Millionaire” by Kim Perell, and “Hidden in Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad” by Jacqueline L. Tobin and Raymond G. Dobard.

“Libraries always remind me that there are good things in this world.”  Lauren Ward

   The Millard Oakley Public Library has a full calendar of events for September.
Special events include Senior Bingo on Wednesday, September 3 at 11:00.  We ask that only adults participate in this event.  
Teen Night will be on September 9 and September 23 at 4:00.

               For all those who have asked, we will have our quarterly book sale on September 26 and September 27.
On Friday, from 9:00 until 3:00, hardcover books are just $1.00.
From 3:00 until 5:00 on Friday, and 9:00 until 2:00 on Saturday, a bag of books will be $1.00. 
There will also be paperbacks, DVD’s, and CD’s for sale. 
All funds raised at this book sale go to support programs and new reading material at the library.
If you would like to help out with the book sale, volunteers are greatly appreciated.

• • • • •   The Friends will meet on September 18 at 4:30 to finalize all the details of the book sale.
        •   The Library Board will meet on September 16 at 4:30.
        •   The Crafters meet every Tuesday at 9:00.
        •   The Quilters meet on September 15 at 10:00.
        •   Story Time is every Thursday at 10:30.

               Please stop in and pick up a calendar, or check out our Facebook page for a full listing of events happening at the library!

               The library has several new books, including many that were given as memorials.
Recent memorials include:
A donation made in memory of Jody Carter, given by Jerry & Beverly Stovall.
In memory of Ann Leis Pelham, given by Ruth Woobright, Joyce Maynord, and Lounetta Garrett.
In memory of Lorinda Daniel, given by Steve Daniel.
In memory of Ricky Lynn Ledbetter, given by Barbara Jean Smith Hargis.
In memory of Cheryl Savage, given by the Overton County Retired Teachers.
In memory of Inis Cooper, given by the families of Homer and Geneva Cooper.

               New books include “Caught Up” by Navessa Allen, “Obsidian” by K. F. Breene, “A Stranger in Mayfair” by Charles Finch, “Keeper of Enchanted Rooms” by Charlie N. Holmberg, “6-Lane Highway” by Sean Mitchell, “A Novel Murder” by E. C. Nevin, “Loathe At First Sight” by Suzanne Park, “Stolen Temptation” by Renee Parker, “A Resistance of Witches” by Morgan Ryan, and “Nikola” by Eva Winners.  There are also several new books for our teen, juvenile, and beginning readers.  Stop by the library and see what’s new!

               “A word after a word after a word is power.” – Margaret Atwood

The Millard Oakley Public Library Summer Reading Program is about to begin! It is time to color our world with arts, crafts, and fun. On June 5 at 10:30, the Science Heroes will be here to educate and entertain our readers and their companions. There is a calendar full of activities to explore the creative side, including balloon animals, dance, painting, pottery, and storytelling. Lunch is provided by the Overton School system, and all events are free. We do require an adult to be present at all times for safety reasons.

This year, young readers can track their reading with the traditional paper logs, or they and their adults can go to mopl.readsquared.com and track their reading online. We will also be doing the reading bingo again this year.
A reader’s first bingo gets them a free ice cream from Dairy Queen.
A second bingo wins a free personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut.
A third bingo will give a reader a free day at the Livingston Pool.

There will also be painted rocks hidden around Livingston.
If you find a painted rock, with MOPL on it anywhere, bring it in to help complete our “Rock Bookworm”.
Every painted rock brought in will be rewarded with art supplies.
All readers 18 and younger are welcome to participate in these events.

Our teen night will continue through the summer, with the next meeting on June 10. All teens are invited to come to the library and express their artistic side by decorating our front windows. All supplies will be provided.

Other activities at the library include:
The Crafters meeting every Tuesday morning at 9:00.
The Book Club will meet on Tuesday, June 3 at 11:00.
The Overton County Historical Society will meet on June 3 at 5:00.

The Library will be closed on June 19th.
Please stop by the library, or check out our website for full details of our schedule.

“Libraries store the energy that fuels the imagination. They open up windows to the world and inspire us to explore and achieve, and contribute to improving our quality of life. Libraries change lives for the better.” Sidney Sheldon

The Millard Oakley Library is always looking for ways to improve our services. This past week, with the help of TCat Information Technology instructors and students, the internet connections and WiFi access received an upgrade. New wiring was installed, as well as new access points to make it faster and easier to connect to the internet, even when the library is closed. A sincere thank you to instructors Joe Gerwiens and Brycen Walters who brought students Anthony Price, Silas Maynord, Dylan Smith, James Parrigin, Austin Garrett, Terran Cravens, and William Hawley to our building to run wires and install access points.
The library is gearing up for our Summer Reading Program, which will begin June 5 with The Science Heroes. Story time will be each Thursday at 10:30, and Overton County Schools will provide lunch for each child that attends. Each week, children who attend will be able to choose a book or a prize from the prize cart. We do require that at least one adult be present with their children at all times during the programs.

The full summer schedule is as follows:

June 5-     Kickoff with The Science Heroes
June 12-   Creative Movement & Fun With Food
June 19-   Closed
June 26 –  Balloon Animals & Face Painting
July 3   –   Acrylic Painting
July 10 –   Paper Crafts
July 17 –   Pottery
July 24 –   Final Celebration & Awards

We will also be using mopl.readsquared.com to log reading times. There will be paper logs available for those without access to the internet, but we hope that this tool will make it simpler for everyone to track their summer reading.

The library will be closed on Monday, May 26 for Memorial Day.

“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls bloom.” Marcel Proust.