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Children’s booksellers are off to a positive start in holiday sales. Publishers Weekly conducted a survey of 24 booksellers nationwide and found double-digit sales gains for the period beginning Black Friday.

LSU Shreveport education professor Candi Bagley says children will get a glut of toys, but a book can bring added value.

"Books are such a lasting gift," Bagley said. "Kids can keep them for years and years. A lot of parents will put special books away as keepsakes for later on."

Bagley suggests penning an inscription to personalize the book.

Stephen F. Austin State University's Center for Regional Heritage Research is working to drive foot traffic into the restored Nacogdoches Railroad Depot. Research associate Dr. Kelley Snowden said the Loblolly model train display will attract hundreds of visitors. She plans exhibits and speakers at the Depot throughout the year.

"We really want the Depot to be a vital part of the city of Nacogdoches," Snowden said. "Since the Depot has been so beautifully restored, we want people to come here and see this piece of their history."

The city of Nacogdoches has renamed its public library to honor a public servant. Judy B. McDonald, the wife of the late commentator Archie McDonald, sat on the city commission for a decade before serving as Nacogdoches’ mayor for eight years. During that time she was staunch supporter of the library, always voting to keep its budget on par with other city services. At the dedication ceremony, McDonald said there was a reason why it needed the utmost defense.