"Storytime" Corner

Sump pump drains the frequent flood waters

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MARIAN WRIGHT EDELMAN

NORTHEASTERN TECHNICAL COLLEGE

MARLBORO COUNTY

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TODAY:

Marlboro County is a lovely, tranquil rural setting. Yet it is one of South Carolina's very poorest counties, where unemployment is among the highest in the state. Although the County is facing troubling economic and educational problems, it is rich in history and heritage. Residents point with pride to their community's spirit of racial cooperation and lively cultural scene. A sense of place runs deep.

Still, the Marlboro County Public Library in Bennettsville is the only library in the county and it has fallen on very hard times. It does not meet recognized standards by any measure and is woefully inadequate to meet both the current and future needs of its 29,152 citizens spread across the County's broad geographic expanse.

......• At only 7,900 sq.ft., the building is sorely cramped. Shelf space is severely limited. The tiny
........children's section can seat only four youngsters.

......• The outdated wiring cannot support twenty-first century technology. Run the vacuum
........cleaner at your peril because it may blow out the on-line card catalogue.

......• With only nine computer stations, the library's technology ranks at the bottom
........of South Carolina's library systems.

And the library is in total disrepair. Public restrooms are nearly unusable. Heavy rains have brought water running down the walls and seeping up from the floor so that dampness, mold and mildew—disasterous to books and potentially damaging to the health of both staff and visitors—are constant dangers. A single sump pump is the only safeguard against further flooding.