On March 10, Sharps Chapel Book Station finally opened its doors in the restored Historic Oak Grove School, and book station attendant Sherry Medina is loving the new location.

The book station occupies half of the two-room school, painstakingly restored by Preservation Union County. The other half will soon be available for rent for community events, parties and reunions through the Union County Mayor's office. Previously housed in a mobile home near Sharps Chapel Senior Center, moving to Oak Grove School has allowed the book station to add three times the number of books for all ages, plus computers and space for quiet reading and research.

"I don't have to dig (for the books) here," said Medina.

Medina hopes to have Internet access up and running at the book station soon, another much-needed service for Sharps Chapel residents.

"When we have it set up, there will be WI-Fi, access to READS and ebooks and just a tremendous amount of information on the Internet. It's going to help the community so much," she said. "I have a lot of people who want the Internet and can't get it."

Medina said several people have come in and applied for library cards in the past two weeks, along with many who attended Oak Grove when it was a school.

"Every time they come in, it sparks a memory, and I get to hear that memory. I love it," she said. "I had four brothers go to school here, so it's very exciting to me to have this building restored."

Oak Grove School housed students in first through eighth grades from its opening in 1935 until the 1960s. A WPA project built in the Rosenwall style with plans for school kits by Sears-Roebuck, Oak Grove is one of the few publicly owned schools of its kind in near-original condition. The restoration took five years and thousands of volunteer hours.

Plans are in the works for children's programs at the book station, plus classes for adults as well. Medina said she would like a sewing class in particular and put out a call for volunteer teachers.

The book station is on winter hours through the first of June: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Medina said she tries to have the book station open during the same hours as the nearby convenience center so folks can get "two for one."

Medina encouraged folks to stop by the book station.

"Just come to see the building if nothing else," she said. "I'm very proud of this place, and I think any community needs something like this to be proud about."

For more information, find Sharps Chapel Book Station on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/SharpsChapelBookStation/.