By Sarah Mahan

The Selma Times-Journal

When Selma-Dallas County Library Director Becky Nichols said, “We are just having a fabulous time outside the library, learning about our animal friends,” she spoke for many

of those attendeding the petting zoo held on the library’s lawn Thursday .

Both children and adults enjoyed visiting with the farm animals that were brought to the library as part of its Imagination Summer 2013 program.

Families and daycare groups lined up around the front of the library and endured the heat just to see the chickens, rabbits, ducks, baby goats and baby pigs that were included in petting zoo.

Mandy Webb of Ellwood Christian Academy described the reason everyone — especially the children — were having a great time.

“It’s a great experience. [The children] get to see all kinds of animals. [Some] that they have never seen,” Webb said. “They get to touch them. It’s very hands on. It’s all about the experience and keeping the kids busy during the summer.”

In the midst of children laughing and ducks quacking, Beverly Downer of Bells and Whistles, the business that provided the animals for the petting zoo, described why both she and the kids loved the event.

“From the experience I’ve had the kids absolutely love this,” Downer said. “We had to drive from Robertsville this morning, but it was well worth it.”

Downer agreed that many of the children had never seen some of the animals the petting zoo contained.

“We’ve run into a lot of kids who have never seen these animals before, even though they are farm animals. It’s a big treat for them and we enjoy it,” she said.

Contact the public library at (334) 874-1730 or selmalibrary.org for a schedule of their free summer programs.