If You're Planning to Attend...

Our annual Columbia County Reads Together program will be held in the Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center on January 23rd. Doors will be opened at 6:30pm. The program will begin at 7:00pm with a booksigning afterward. Admittance is free of charge.

Due to overwhelming demand for this event, we will be handing out 450 tickets on a first-come first-serve basis at 6:00pm on the 23rd. WE WILL NOT BE DISTRIBUTING ANY PRIOR TO 6:00pm. You MUST have a ticket to be allowed admittance. We appreciate your cooperation in helping us adhere to our fire and emergency safety standards.

2010 Columbia County Reads Together Author Annouced

And the author is...

Charlaine Harris!!

Columbia County Library is pleased to present Charlaine Harris for our Winter Chills program on January 23rd at the Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Theater. Doors will open at 6:30pm and the program will begin promptly at 7:00pm.

Ms. Harris is the author of the Aurora Teagarden series of mysteries and the Sookie Stackhouse series which inspired the HBO series, TrueBlood.

To prepare for the main event, the Columbia County Libraries will be hosting book discussions for the Sookie Stackhouse book, Dead and Gone, and the Aurora Teagarden mystery, Poppy Dead and Gone:

• Evans book discussion: January 11th @ 6:30pm
• Harlem book discussion: January 14th @ 2:00pm
• Euchee Creek book discussion: January 19th @ 6:30pm

Please join us for these discussions, and don't miss the main event on January 23rd at 7:00pm.

Authors for the 2010 Main Event

As the summer peaks, we are hard at work contacting authors for next year's Columbia County Reads Together program.
Our reference staff has contacted several potential authors for this annual event including:

David Baldacci-author of Absolute Power and The Simple Truth. He writes legal thrillers that weave suspense with the nation's most powerful institutions.

Nevada Barr-author of the Anna Pigeon series of mysteries which features a female park ranger as its protagonist.

Charlaine Harris-author of the Sookie Stackhouse series of Southern Vampires (the inspiration for the TV series True Blood).

Carl Hiassen-author of the sharply humorous thrillers Double Whammy, Sick Puppy, and Nature Girl.

Kathy Reichs comes to Augusta

The line for booksigning.

An avid fan.

A member of the community purchases a book for Ms. Reichs to sign.


Branch Manager, Anita Patterson, and our Guest of Honor.



Commissioner Ron Cross and Ms. Reichs.

Columbia County Reads Together:

After the Event

This year’s “Columbia County Reads Together” author was Kathy Reichs. As a community we read her books, Break No Bones and Bare Bones, and we were fortunate to have the addition of the author to conclude the program on April 18th to help us make this year’s program wildly successful. The event was well attended, overfilling the PAC’s seating capacity of 294 by 25-50 people who stayed in the lobby during the program. Ms. Reichs provided a Power Point presentation that was both informative and entertaining. She discussed some past cases and the process of creating a full-length novel from real-life cases. Unfortunately, the Q&A was cut to 15 minutes in order to ensure adequate time for the book signing following the presentation. Refreshments of variety of food, tea, and punch as well as both beer and wine were available both before the author’s presentation and during the book signing. Fifty-five attendees filled out comment cards and all gave the author visit an “excellent” rating.

Preparing for Kathy's Visit!

Please see the sidebar for book discussion dates leading up to Kathy Reichs' visit to Columbia County. Posted is a list of discussion questions. Click on the image to be able to better view the questions. Please feel free to begin a discussion here on this blog or attend one of our live book discussions at one of our Columbia County Libraries.

Kathy Reichs is coming to Columbia County!

The inspiration for the TV hit series Bones, Kathy Reichs is coming to Columbia County! We are thrilled about Kathy Reichs acceptance to present a discussion of her work which includes eleven novels featuring main character Temperance Brennan. In preparation for Dr. Reichs visit, Columbia County will focus its discussion on two of her novels, Bare Bones and Break No Bones. Details about the dates and times of this discussion will be forthcoming. In the mean time place Kathy Reichs' visit on your calendar for 7:00 PM on Saturday, April 18, 2009 at the Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center, 7022 Evans Town Center Blvd, Evans, GA, 30809. For more information phone the Reference Desk at the Columbia County Library, 706-863-1946.

One Book One Community Is Now Columbia County Reads Together

With the successful completion of our most recent One Book One Community program, it was decided to transition into a new name for this program.

The next One Book program for 2009 will now be known as "Columbia County Reads Together." This program encourages the community to engage in the reading and discussion of one book. This program also seeks to encourage the entire community to engage in theme-related discussions and features children's and teen selections with similar content as the one book chosen for adults. This program usually features dicussions and culminates in an author visit from the author of the selected one book.

The community is invited to make suggestions for the next book for Columbia County Reads Together. Please come to the Columbia County Library and enter your suggested author and title in the ballot boxes located at the Ciruclation and Reference Desks. Then look for this program to reveal the next book for Columbia County to read together in the Fall of 2008.

He's Almost Here!

Hope you are delighted as much as we were when you view the video below of Mr. Berry at a recent book signing near his hometown on the coast of Georgia! He appears to be very approachable and quite charismatic! Enjoy! Then make plans to see him in person Saturday, April 19, 2008, 7:00 PM at the Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center (the same building as the library) in Evans, GA! We are so excited!

http://www.youtube.com/v/8lNxDwBp7u8&hl=en

Your Invitation to a Most Memorable Occasion

All Are Welcome!

What: Bestselling Author, Steve Berry, LIVE!

When: Saturday, April 19, 7:00 PM

Where: Jabez S. Hardin Performing Arts Center

7022 Evans Town Center Blvd., Evans, GA

Meet and greet this Georgia Author, join in on a discussion of The Alexandria Link and other Berry titles, bid on Silent Auction items, get your books signed by the author, and more.

Hors d'oeuvres and sales of Berry's books provided.

Here's a list of items that can be yours the evening of Steve Berry's visit.
Area businesses have made wonderful donations of their time and services!

Thanks to all of them for their support of what will most likely turn out to be a most memorable occasion.

Restaurant Gift Certificates
2 Wife Saver $30
Sconyer’s $25
French Market West $25

Other Contributions
Windsor $400 Gift Certificate
Art From Furniture Land $500
Wine and Cert from Wine World
Garden Basket from Clementine’s Candle
Pool Cue From Griffin Pools and Spas
Elite Limousine 3 Hour Service
Fitz Symms $100
Dawghouse Gift Certificates 4 $25 certificates
House Keepers 3 hour Service
1 hour Swedish Massage at Jon Ric Medical Day Spa
Jump for Joy Inflatable’s All Day Inflatable Moonwalk
Cartridge World $50 Gift Certificate
Chain Reaction $50 Bicycle Tune-up
Greenbrier Nursery $50 Gift Certificate
If Its Paper $25.00 Gift Certificate
Cake from Eatable Artistry

Silent Auction set for Steve Berry Visit!

As if a bestselling author's visit to Columbia County were not enough to secure a successful turnout on the evening of April 19, now a special Silent Auction is planned to help fund future visits to our area from other successful authors.

Stay tuned to this blog for a published list of items that will be available for bid on the evening of this Georgia author's visit.

Come on Columbia County, let's Read Together!

Resource Guides Are Here!

Come into the Columbia County Libraries and pick up your copy of the Columbia County Reads Together Resource Guide. These guides are hot off the press and contain all the information pertaining to the 2nd Annual One Book One Community Program!

• These resource guides include such information as:
  
• Book and Author Information
• Local Resource information for all of Berry's books
• Discussion Questions for The Alexandria Link
• Children's and Teen Book Selections with Discussion

Questions for the Teen Selection, Fahrenheit 451

• Event Calendar
  
• Library Locations and Hours

Commence Reading, Columbia County!

Announcing Columbia County Georgia's One Book for 2007-08!

Drum roll, please!

The Alexandria Link by Steve Berry!

Mr. Berry is the second Georgia author selected since the start of this program at our libraries.

Last year's author was Judson Mitcham of Sweet Everlasting. You can read more about Mr. Berry and his publications at his website http://www.steveberry.org/

Please visit this blog in the near future for more information concerning activities leading up to Mr. Berry's visit to our community on April 19, 2008!

We're Working on OBOC for 2007-08!

The staff at Columbia County Library received your comments and book suggestions concerning the next One Book One Community Program. Thanks for your input! The staff is working on trying to acquire a list of authors who are willing and able to participate. We will reveal more information about the One Book author and selection in the coming months. Thanks for your patience!

Well, Columbia County, We Just Want to Thank You!

Well Columbia County, we just want to thank you for the wonderful turnout for our first One Book One Community program. This was a great learning experience for all of us, and we want to make it better! We want to get more involvement and hear your suggestions. Shortly we will begin taking your suggestions at the library for the next 'One Book' everyone will be reading, but if you are reading and this and have a suggestion now, please post your suggestion as a comment! We are taking suggestions throughout the summer months and hope to announce the next title this fall.

Thanks for all you do to support the library and your community! You are what makes Columbia County, Georgia what it is and we applaud your efforts!