By Jack Quirk
The Hennessey town crew installed a brand-new library book return box Friday, March 13, replacing the previous one that met an untimely (and rather dramatic) end last fall.
The original box was totaled on September 2, 2025, when an SUV traveling south crossed two northbound lanes of Highway 81/Main Street and struck the library’s outdoor book return. After the unexpected literary collision, the driver continued south for about two miles before finally stopping near the intersection of Highway 81 and Exxon Road (E650 Road). The books, thankfully, were innocent bystanders.
Friday morning, Jamie Keel and Blaze Shimanek set the new return box into place and anchored it firmly to the concrete, with hopes this one will stick around a little longer and avoid any future “drive-through in returns.”
Library Director Steven Mitchell supervised the installation, ensuring everything was placed just right.
The new box is now ready for business, and library staff are reminding patrons that while they appreciate prompt returns, the preferred method is still walking up to the box, not driving into it. Photo by AAH Angie Bruner
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