The second annual Young County Book Festival will be held next Saturday at the Library of Graham with state and local authors available to discuss, sell and sign their books. The free event will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9 at the library at 910 Cherry St. Interim Library Director DeAnna Bullock said the festival allows authors to showcase their books, speak about the publishing process, network and connect with the community.
Members of the community voiced concerns this week regarding a non-fiction book and its place within the city’s library. The Library of Graham board met Wednesday, Oct. 25 with the sole agenda item being a discussion regarding the removal or relocation of a book titled “We Need to Talk About Vaginas: An IMPORTANT Book About Vulvas, Periods, Puberty and Sex!” The illustrated book shares information on sensitive topics such as anatomy, sex, periods, consent and more.
The city of Graham is working through its budget discussions to restructure the general fund budget, with four departments being moved into separate funds. The Graham Municipal Airport, Young County Arena, Library of Graham and Convention and Visitors Bureau will be transferred into separate special purpose funds, accounting for a $1.7 million shift in the proposed budget and an inevitable decrease in the general fund. City Manager Eric Garretty said when he saw a restructuring was required, he requested it be done all in one year.
The Library of Graham’s summer reading program ended this week with 80 participants reading for a total of 900 minutes. The annual program looks to bridge the gap for children which occurs in the summer into the following school year. The program ran from the beginning of June and ended Wednesday, July 26 with a finale party at the library for those who read for six weeks. Outgoing Library Director Kelly LaFarge said the program is different from school-assigned reading due to participants having a choice in their reading material.
At the end of August, Library of Graham Director Kelly LaFarge will depart from her position and move into the role of board president for the Young County Museum of History and Culture. LaFarge said after implementing changes at the library she is ready to provide her talents for the in-progress museum.