BETHEL — The Bethel Library is hosting a book discussion at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 7, as part of the “Local and Legendary: Maine in the Civil War” project lead by the library, Gould Academy and the Bethel Historical Society.
The project began after the town of Bethel received a $2,000 grant from the Maine Historical Society and the Maine Humanities Council. The grant was awarded to five communities in Maine with the goal of “bringing Maine libraries and educational and historical organizations together to explore local Civil War history.”
Library Director Michelle Conroy said that the Jan. 7 book discussion is one of three upcoming readings centered around the short story collection “Civil War Stories” by Ambrose Bierce, a Civil War-era writer, poet and satirist.
Conroy added that the readings will be led by Doug Rawlings, who is representing the Maine Historical Society and the Maine Humanities Council.
“We’ve already had one reading at Gould Academy, and we have other readings scheduled for Feb. 4 and Mar. 4,” Conroy said. “So far, the readings have gone amazingly well. Anybody who wants to take out the book can do so at the Bethel Library. I ordered 75 copies of the book, so there’s plenty to go around.”
Conroy said that the Bethel Library, along with the Bethel Historical Society and Gould Academy, have been brainstorming different events centered around the “Local and Legendary: Maine in the Civil War” project.
“So far, the collaboration has been great,” Conroy said. “I would definitely do this again in the future. In fact, I think that the hardest part about planning the book discussion was agreeing on a book. The book I wanted was too long. We ended up agreeing on a book that both children and adults could follow.”
For more information on the Maine in the Civil War project, visit the Bethel Library Association Facebook page.
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