One Book runner-up will sign her work
Book will be picked differently
Columbia County Library officials are kicking off their 2008 One Book, One Community program with a visit from the author of a book nominated for the 2007 program.
//
Residents voted on one of four books to read as a community in the fall. Joshilyn Jackson's Between, Georgia was the runner-up by only a few votes to Judson Mitcham's The Sweet Everlasting.
"Part of the reason we are bringing in Joshilyn Jackson is that she was the runner-up, and a lot of people read both books and wished they could have seen her talk," librarian Jessica Thompson said.
Jackson will visit the library on Evans Town Center Boulevard at 2:30 p.m. today. Jackson will speak about two of her books, Between, Georgia and Gods in Alabama, and will sign books, Thompson said.
The library celebrated its first anniversary with the program. One Book is designed to promote community reading of the same book, which will encourage discussions, expand horizons, promote literacy and foster a shared appreciation of thought-provoking books.
The library sponsored six book-discussion groups, and other private book clubs held their own discussions.
The book for the second annual One Book, One Community program will be chosen differently.
Thompson said residents are invited to nominate books, then library officials will sort nominations, picking the most popular ones, before selecting a book that fits the goals of the program and will be the most popular with residents.
"We're hoping people will recommend something the majority of people in the county would like to read and get something out of," Thompson said. A local or regional author will be more likely to visit the library for a book discussion and signing in the spring, she said.
Thompson said books should be adult-level and can be fiction or nonfiction.
Nomination boxes are located in all three Columbia County library locations. Nominations also can be made online at oboccolumbiacoga.blogspot.com.
"We're hoping it will result in a book the community will like and hopefully something where we can get the author here," Thompson said.
Nominations will be accepted until the end of September. Thompson said she hopes to have the winning book announced in November with related programming and book discussions in February.
Thompson said she'd like to have local businesses and community organizations involved in the program through partnership opportunities.
For more information, call Thompson at (706) 447-7664.