LIBRARY NOTES

DONNICE CARRUTH | SPECIAL TO THE TEXAS SPUR

Library Association

It has been a whirlwind week for this tired librarian! I have been in our state capital all week attending the annual Texas Library Association Conference.

Downtown Austin is quite the experience. Everywhere you would go there were signs to “Keep Austin Weird.” It was most definitely a “weird” place for this small-town woman. There were more people in one square block than are in the whole town of Spur!

Like most people I enjoy eating out, but trying to find a good old taco or hamburger was next to impossible. The conference was held at the Austin Convention Center, which was located about three blocks from my hotel. The convention center stretches over six city blocks. I walked more on this trip than I have in quite a while.

One of the events I attended was the opening luncheon and authors session. We got to hear a couple of authors talk about their upcoming books. After the event we received an advance readers’ copy of their newest books that are not due to come out until later this year. One of the authors was LaToya Watkins, whose debut novel, “Perish,” was praised by reviewers. A review by the New York Times stated that Watkin’s prose is effortless and forthright. Her new novel is a collection of short stories called “Holler, Child” due out in August of this year. Our readers will get a sneak peek with our advancedcopy.

Texas Monthly had this to say about “Holler, Child”: “An extraordinary and unforgettable short story collection about community, home, betrayal, and forgiveness—from a writer whose spellbinding, buoyant storytelling will break your heart as it tends to the wounds.”

When it was my turn to have the copy signed Ms. Watkins looked at the badge I wore which gave my name and the name of the library and town I was representing. She got very excited and said that she knew where Spur is and that she had family from there. She also said she was planning on visiting for research for a new book. She promised to visit the library while she is here.

Minnie Montemayor, whose positive attitude, bright smile and goofy sense of humor always made craft night and game night at the library more fun has passed away and will be missed by all who knew her. A memorial has been made in her honor to the Friends of the Library.

While I was gone we got a very nice donation of books from John Eric Swenson. We will be able to add quite a few books to most sections of the library with his donation. We appreciate the donation very much.

Check it all out at the library.