CHECK IT OUT – Alvord Librarian Pamela AlHusaini helps (from left) Zoe Montgomery, 7, Haley Montgomery, 5, and Alex Montgomery, 8, check out books from the new library. Messenger photo by Joe Duty

On Wednesday the Alvord Public Library held its grand opening less than two months after a spring storm ripped the roof off the old library building.

”The wind came and peeled the roof off,” said librarian Pamela AlHusaini. “We were planning to move anyway because the building was already slated for demolition. We already had most of the books in boxes. So it made it easy to move here.”

The library is now located at 106 Franklin St., just around the corner from the old site.

Despite the storm damage to the building, nearly the entire collection was left intact.

“I came in and the carpet was soaked, but amazingly only about 12 books had any water damage,” AlHusaini said.

City employees and 17 volunteers put in more than 220 hours to move the library into its new digs.

“We had an amazing group of volunteers, and the city employees also did a great job,” AlHusaini said.

The damage to the old site did have its repercussions, though. It prevented the library from holding its summer reading program.

“If the kids don’t continue to read throughout the summer, it can really regress their reading skills,” the librarian explained.

“The kids really like the summer reading program,” said Valerie Montgomery. “Last year they got to see a clown and make some crafts.”

On Thursday she brought her three kids into the new library to check out some books.

AlHussaini said the new location does not have enough open space to offer a reading program.

“We hope to acquire funds to build a new library building,” she said.

The library is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday 9 a.m.