It’s clean and cool, as quiet as a far-off whisper, and he goesthere to write his letters.

On a Tuesday afternoon, Brookhaven’s Herbert Curry sits alone ata round table at the Lincoln County Public Library, writing lettersto his 28-year-old son, Jason Richard Curry, at Lackland Air ForceBase in Texas. A dictionary lies to his right, an open Bible spreadout to his left. In between are letters, envelopes, pictures and acup of chilling coffee.

He writes carefully in blue ink and shares his work with thelibrary staff when he’s done. They check his letters to ensure he’sfollowed the rules of the language and transmitted to paper whatwas on his heart.

“The library is very quiet, very peaceful. I’m relaxed and Ifeel secure when I’m writing my letters here,” said Curry, 53. “Thestaff is very helpful, very professional people. They’ve always gottime for me, or they always make time for me. When I speak of one,I speak of all.”

Curry can’t do it at home. At the library, he finds thesanitized environment he needs to collect and write his thoughtswithout distraction.

“I didn’t know what I missing until I started using the libraryagain,” he said. “That first trip will get you hooked.”

Curry’s not alone.

This year, usage of the Lincoln County Public Library hasreached an all-time high, with more visitors using more resourcesthan ever before. Some, like Curry, are just seeking quietconfines, while others are checking out books and movies, usinglibrary computers to search for jobs and taking online classes.

“When the economy goes down, library usage goes up, and this istrue in Brookhaven,” said library board chairman Helen Lynch,reporting to Lincoln County supervisors Tuesday morning.

According to the library’s records, the number of books checkedout annually has risen from 87,000 in 2007 to 96,000 in 2008, withthe six-digit barrier broken last year when 110,000 books werechecked out.

An average of 245 people walked through the front doors in 2007,with that number increasing to 260 in 2008. Last year, the librarysaw an average of 290 visitors per day, and last month that numberclimbed to 370.

The library’s summer reading and other programs are also atall-time highs, and its small bank of computers has becomeincredibly popular, Lynch reported.

“Many potential employers want online applications, and this hasreally increased computer usage,” she said.

The library’s website – http://www.llf.lib.ms.us/ – is also fullof resources, including Learn a Test, where users can find studyguides and practice tests for a number of examinations, like theACT, GED and nursing exams. The service will score the sample testsand point out areas that need improvement.

The Lincoln County library and its sister institutions – thelibraries in Franklin and Lawrence counties, all three of whichcomprise the Lincoln-Lawrence-Franklin Regional Library – are partof the statewide Magnolia Project, a vast collection of onlinearticles. Additionally, thousands of local photographs in thearchive are being uploaded to the site, with a federal grant to buya new Internet server that will hold the data forthcoming.

But not everything in the library has to be used for seriouspursuits.

Director Henry Ledet said the institution also has more than3,000 DVDs that can be checked out, and the usage of those discs isup 62 percent. There are also more than 500 books on CD available,and the library subscribes to a number of magazines. The neweditions must be browsed in the library, but back editions can bechecked out like books.

“We try to be careful and get things of a certain quality, andwe look for items for the children’s section that parents cantrust,” Ledet said.

In 2010, everything about the library is bigger, better andfaster – except funding.

State library funding was cut 10 percent in fiscal year 2009 andanother 10 percent in fiscal year 2010. As a result, the libraryhas been forced to chop its $100,000 book-buying budget in half,with 2007 being the last year it was fully funded.

No library staffer has gotten a raise in four years, whileretirement and insurance contributions have risen. Later Tuesday,library officials asked city aldermen for a small funding increasein order to avoid staffers seeing a net pay reduction.

There may be some relief in the future. Ledet said a friends ofthe library group is now organizing and will hopefully holdfundraisers soon.

In the meantime, the library will continue offering its manyservices, all free of charge. Ledet encouraged anyone who hasn’tvisited the library recently to pay a visit.

“Give us a chance. Come on in,” he said. “A lot of folksremember what libraries were like when they were kids – there wasone old lady who sat on a very tall stool and told everyone to bequiet. We’re not that way anymore.”