N

The Coffee County Manchester Public Library welcomed a dozen area authors as part of the official kickoff to its annual adult reading program Saturday, Jan. 13.

Librarian and events coordinator Daphanie Gragg said the adult reading program is something the library has hosted for several years and remains an important part of its programming.

“As with the children’s program, it is just as important for the adults to keep their minds entertained and keep encouraging higher education and just keeping their brains active,” Gragg said during the event.

The program will run for nearly six weeks, where library patrons can sign up to participate and have the chance to win more than $1,400 worth of prizes that have been donated. In addition to books from the library, library card holders can also include anything they check out using the Tennessee READS and Libby apps towards the program.

“At the end of the program we will go through like a raffle and drawl out winners,” Gragg said.

In addition to winners at the close of the program, there will also be weekly opportunities to win books and other prizes.

“We also will have weekly winners so when you come in and you ask for one of these slips we will write your name down,” Gragg said. “I will put the names in a randomizer and then we will call you and say hey, come pick out a book from the book sale room or a prize from the weekly prize cart.”

Warren County author and Black History Museum of Warren County Tennessee founder Wayne Wolford Sr. was on hand for the event at the library with his book about Black history in Warren County. Titled “Through Wolf’s Eyes,” Wolford said his book tells Black History through his own perspective.

“This book is basically the Black History of Warren County,” he said. “It took me 17 years to write it but it has been out for about five years right now and so this book has helped me as far as the museum is concerned.”

Wolford said this is the second time he has participated in the library’s adult reading program kickoff and he is hoping to raise awareness for the museum through his book.

Local author Dave Pratt said he and his wife just relocated to the community about six months ago from Washington State to be closer to family.

“It is a huge change, but our grandkids are out here along with our daughter and her husband so we kind of moved out here to be with family and we are not disappointed,” Pratt said. “We like the Country feel.”

Pratt said he is currently under contract with a publisher to write five books. So far, he has two completed titled “The Home Team” and “Home Team 2.”

“Our books are action suspense, they are Christian so anybody can read them,” he said. “These are the first two and another one is due out in October and one each year after that.”

For more information about upcoming programming at the Coffee County Manchester Public Library, visit www.coffeecountylibrary.org.