From The Saline County Review to The Saline Courier
By Cody Berry In 1882, William Webber sold the Saline County Digest to another Benton businessman named B. B. Beavers, who renamed the paper The Saline County Review. Beavers didn’t hold onto the paper for long because he sold it in November 1883. Around this time, Dr. Gann, Sr.’s father-in-law, Samuel Houston Whitthorne, had established his own paper called The Saline Courier in 1882. It was described as the “active rival of … Continued
Unicorn Coloring Contest
Our Unicorn Coloring Contest wouldn’t be the same without your entry! 🦄 Stop by any Saline County Library branch to pick up a coloring sheet or download and print one at home. Let your creativity shine as you design a magical unicorn for our Reading Dragons program! Turn it in at your local library branch … Continued
Valentines Events at the Library
It’s the month of love – and we LOVE our upcoming Valentines events at the library! Check out some of the awesome programs we have coming up in February including book clubs, crafts, trivia, and more! Monday Afternoon Book Club: “The Love Proof” Looking for a smart, intense romance novel? Check out our latest selection … Continued
I Love My Library
This year, we’re spreading the joy and library love. We asked a couple of patrons why they love the library, and how it affected their lives and their community. You can check out their individual reviews below, or our combined interview with all participants. Want to add your voice to the conversation? We’d love to … Continued
Historic Recipes from the Gann
By Cody Berry Because my WWII exhibit is over, I thought it would be fun to share some historic holiday recipes with you all. Back in 2023 we got a neat little cookbook from a patron called The Methodist Cook Book, which was compiled under the auspices of the Missionary Society of Methodist Episcopal Church, South in 1911. These recipes are from that book. One of … Continued
William Webber: The Father of Saline County Journalism
above image credit: FindAGrave.com By Cody Berry Did you know that the first newspaper in Saline County was founded by a former Union soldier? William Ami Webber was born on February 13, 1839, in Plymouth, Maine, although the Centennial Courier says he was from Vermont.1 At some point, Webber moved to Iowa, which is where he was living when the Civil War started, and he served throughout … Continued
Learn at the library
Dial back on doomscrolling this year! Looking for something fun and free to do this winter? The Saline County Library is excited to offer several free classes in January 2026! These hands-on sessions are a great way to learn new skills, try new technology, and pick up helpful tips for everyday life. All classes are … Continued
SCL Wrapped
Wow… what a year it’s been at the Saline County Library! 📚✨ In 2025, our libraries were busier than ever, and we loved every minute of it. Across all three library branches and our online collection, patrons checked out 559,383 items—that’s a LOT of books, movies, and games! Some of the biggest favorites were the … Continued
Winter Challenge 2026
It’s time for our 2026 Winter Challenge! ❄️ From January 1 – February 28, all three library branches encourage everyone to read, watch, and enjoy stories. It’s time to ditch doom scrolling and start enjoying all the amazing stories the library has to offer! Accepting the Winter Challenge for 2026 is simple. Pick a Challenge … Continued
Battle of the Businesses donated double this year!
We just knocked out our past record!!! The Battle of the Businesses has donated even more this year to our community. This is the second annual Battle of the Businesses, collecting food, hygiene products, and winter clothing for our community. Back in 2023, we collected a little over 1,000 food and hygiene items during our … Continued