22 Aug 2016 Celebrating National Library Week

Story and photos
by Janna Virden

The Conway County Library recently celebrated National Library Week with two big events.  

On Friday, April 15, the library rolled out its new bookmobile for the public. After a county-wide survey last year on how better to serve the patrons living in rural areas, the library’s board of directors approved the purchase of a new bookmobile.

The bookmobile will serve the entire county within a one-month timeframe.  Library Director Jay Carter stated that he has been working for more than 10 years to bring a mobile library back to the county.  He said some of the stopping places will be local grocery stores, fire departments and municipal buildings. The bookmobile will have a complete library collection from books to audiobooks, and BLU-RAY and DVDs. It will also offer free Wi-Fi service and other programs.  

On April 16, the library and the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute hosted a meet-the-author evening and book-signing atop Petit Jean Mountain. The library hosted New York Times best-selling author Gregg Hurwitz, who has written books, screenplays, graphic novels and is working on a new TV show.  

Hurwitz focused on his newest book, “Orphan X,” which is slated to become a movie.  Hurwitz grew up going to his library on a weekly basis and was honored when the Conway County Library asked him to speak.  He said some of the first things he loved in life were the books he checked out from his hometown library. He was not allowed to watch much TV as a child and so this was part of his entertainment. He said all the reading also inspired him to write his own stories.  He has been writing all his life, and when he decided to try to make a living at writing, he was rejected time and time again.  However, he kept going and now he says, “I am living my dream.”