Friday, September 3, 2010

I added Shelfari to my blog today. Check out my bookshelf at the end of the column on the right. I started with six books, experimenting here, so I'm holding back. One I'm currently reading, one I hope to read and the others I've read, The Lace Dowry just yesterday. Six on a shelf looks a little sparse. Reminds me of Pilot Mountain School and what I heard in my interviews with the early children. Sparse.

There was no library at the school at first. No money. The few extra books were kept in the classrooms for children to read when they finished their work. But these children weren't deprived. They did go to the library once every other week as a class. More exact, the library came to them - in the back of an old delivery truck converted to the most wonderful invention they could imagine, a bookmobile. After the war around 1946 or '47, the county purchased a government surplus vehicle and converted it into an even larger bookmobile. The school system found this delivery service cheaper than actually establishing a library on the campus. At least it was a start.

Catch of the day,

Gretchen

11 comments:

  1. Glad I came by from KarenG's bbq! What a lovely and inspirational endeavor you've got going on. I just got back from visiting best friend @katmagendie (fellow co-editor/publisher of @RoseandThorn) up near Maggie Valley. Loved it there.

    I'm following on blog & Twitter now. Have a great weekend.

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  2. I'm a new follower, so glad you joined the party! I look forward to learning more about your wonderful project.

    I have a shelfari shelf on my other blog writingfromlife.blogspot.com, that I use for all the memoirs and autobiographical novels I have read (my favorite genre). Then I keep Goodreads for everything I read. Now to follow you on twitter!

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  3. I agree with Angie. :)
    It's fun to connect with other writerly folks, isn't it? I look forward to your upcoming posts.
    Have a great weekend.

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  4. Gretchen, it's nice to meet you!

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  5. I'm a new follower also from KarenG's BBQ. I'll definitely be back.
    Ann

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  6. Just popped over from KarenG's BBQ. Really enjoying your blog. My favorite times in childhood were spent with my grandma, hearing about her childhood. It always amazed how they managed to get by with so little. Times were simpler then. People didn't have much, but they did have love. I can't imagine growing up without books - I love that Pilot Mountain ended up with a bookmobile!

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  7. Another BBQ-er here. A bookmobile is awesome! I'd love to have one pull up in front of my house!

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  8. Nice. Thanks for visiting Under the Tiki Hut. I looked up Burke County on the map. It's not far from Catawba County, home to one of my very best friends.

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  9. Hi Gretchen! Dropping in from Karen's BBQ.

    What a great project! And I'll have to give Shelfari a whirl.

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  10. Hi Gretchen,
    I was at Karen's party. I am also you new follower. I was noticing your last name. It's the same as my husband's (now deceased). We are originally from Minnesota and Florida but now I live in Montana. I don't imagine you were related.... I guess it's a fairly common name.

    Hope you're having a fun filled holiday week end.
    Manzanita
    Wanna buy a duck

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