The Panther Valley Public Library, 117 E. Bertsch St., Lansford, will open its Adult Reading Club at 11 a.m., Aug. 13 with a discussion of "The Help" by Katherine Stockett.

The heart-wrenching story describes the intense emotions and cruel, everyday bigotry that shaped the lives of black domestic servants working in white southern households in the early 1960s, around the time the civil rights movement coalesced.The Adult Reading Club begins soon after the children's reading clubs wrapped up for the summer.The library board and staff thanked those who volunteered their time as "guest readers" for the programs: state Sen. John Yudichak; WMGH radio personality Kerry Dowd; state Rep. Doyle Heffley; Lansford mayor and firefighter Ron Hood; Carbon County Recorder of Deeds Emmett McCall; Carbon County Sheriff's Department Lt. Dave Midas; Lansford police officer Chris Ondrus; Barney Sheridan of Kelly's Pub and nurse Mary Yurick.Library volunteers Evelyn Babish, Betty Dickman, Kara Krajnak, Pat Ladick, Nancy Meitzler, Dawn Neyer and Sarah-Mary Tucker also helped make the programs a success.The children who participated in the programs were treated to a "graduation party" at the Lansford Public Swimming Pool on July 28.