ROGER WICKER: Portion of Senate collection will go to state libraries
In an effort to keep Mississippi’s 235 public libraries vibrant places for research and learning, I am working to donate a portion of my book collection as well as raise awareness about the Library of Congress Surplus Books Program. The Library of Congress receives more than 20,000 items every day but retains only about half of the items for its permanent collection.
Through the Surplus Books Program, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations and state and local public agencies can apply to receive these materials for their own collections. The materials – which include paperback and hardback books, audio and video recordings, and maps – cover a number of subjects and interests. To learn more about this program and how to participate, please e-mail my office at wicker_ books@wicker.senate.gov.
We are lucky to live in a state with such a world-renowned literary tradition. Last year, nearly 4,000 people gathered at the state Capitol in Jackson for the first Mississippi Book Festival. This year’s festival on Aug. 20 brought in even more visitors and authors, including Pulitzer Prize winners Richard Ford and Jon Meacham. As a participant, I was honored to interview author Anne L. Webster, whose book “Mississippians in the Great War: Selected Letters” offers an emotional portrait of war through the eyes of the soldiers, nurses and relief workers from our state who traveled far to defend freedom.
Daily Journal
8/23/16
