Panthers take on Library project; remain undefeated

Staff and friends of the library spent the following day packing books up. Upon completion of that all-day endeavor, the facility took on a bizarre look – empty shelves and nearly 400 cardboard boxes of books.

The word-count of all that literature may or may not be in the millions, but it all had to be moved from City Hall’s second floor to the basement.

Library Director Karen Seward knew beforehand she would need some volunteer muscle.

Monroe City head football coach David Kirby made it happen after a team practice.

“I had went over to the school and asked him, ‘We’ve got about 280 boxes to move; can you help us out?’ He said sure,” Seward said of Kirby. “It turns out, it’s about 380.

“He emailed me about a time that would be good, so we planned all of our renovations around the football team. It worked out great,” Seward added.

Kirby’s coaching skills were put to good use upon the squad’s arrival at the facility. Surveying the scene, Kirby quickly had his players organized and moving the boxed-up books individually starting with the children’s section in the library’s northwest corner.

“He got us all lined out,” senior Landon Utterback said. “He really knows how to get us focused on the task at hand.”

The Panthers had that task completed in approximately 35 minutes.

Their finish time this week, understandably, will be higher.

The team accepted the challenge of returning the boxes – this time up two flights of stairs. Chances are somebody will attempt a quarterback sneak by using the elevator.

All joking aside, Utterback indicated the exercise was a positive experience.

“We’re always excited to come out and help the community,” Utterback said. “Doing it as a team makes it even better.”

Senior Dawson Karr and junior Waylon DeGrave recalled previously utilizing the library.

“Me and my mom were here all the time to get books. I was definitely here a lot when I was little,” Karr said. “I had a series I used to read. We’d come up here every weekend and I would get two in the series of the books and read them.”

“We used to come here once every week and checkout a new book. We also did it when we were going to Holy Rosary, too,” DeGrave said.

During a brief lull in the activity, Kirby motioned to Seward and stated he might have a fine for an overdue book. The library director checked a computer and discovered, no, Kirby was in the clear. In fact, the library currently is in an amnesty period. Even if it wasn’t, Seward was not about to fine the coach.

Kirby, a fan of author Stephen King’s work, in particular, said he tries to read about 30 pages every evening – though that is sometimes difficult this time of year.

Toward the end of an evening at the library, Kirby sat down on a sofa.

“Man, we’ve got great kids. I told them, hey, we need some help, we need to move a bunch of books for the library because they are re-doing some stuff,” Kirby said.

“I asked is everybody good with it? They said, ‘Hey coach, we got it. Let’s hammer this out,’” Kirby continued. “It’s a good little team-building thing. Obviously, this is the one time they get to be loud in a library. The way they’re having fun, kind of giving each other grief, is pretty cool.”