S

A baker’s dozen of local authors met with readers this past Saturday at First Christian Church in Tullahoma, doing a book signing which was sponsored by the local Literacy Council.

Authors attending included Diane Tatum, David Hazelwood, Dr. Elizabeth Taylor, Duane Sherrill, Jackie Duncan, Sheila Robertson, Hubert Robertson, Roberta Adams, Heather Beck, Meredith Burton, and two children’s authors: Jennette Midgett Sockwell and Laura Joy Pewitt. The event saw a steady stream of guests during the three-hour event with readers interacting with authors.

The Literacy Council has been in existence since 1988 and has as its goal and purpose to provide adult basic education for those adults without a high school diploma to study for and take the HiSET test in order to earn their high school equivalency diploma. Once earned, individuals then have a credential to help with finding employment. The program is administered under the TN Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development. The Council also provides classes for the inmates in the Coffee County Jail so that when they are released, they will also find employment more easily. This should help their families, the local economy, and hopefully reduce recidivism. The Council also, with the help of the Coffee County Public Defender, was able to facilitate the installation of a library in the jail. They collaborated with the TN Valley Woodworkers who built the bookshelves and installed them after the Council bought the materials. Only paperback books can be placed in the jail library and due to the extensive use of the books, they often have to be replaced. 

“I think this was a wonderful opportunity for readers to meet their favorite local authors and we hope this will become a regular event,” said Dot Watson of the Literacy Council.

The Council has as its fundraising arm a used bookstore at 114 SW Atlantic St. in Tullahoma. The used bookstore is called The Book Shelf, and it is open M-F 10-4 and on Sat. 10-3. It has every genre imaginable at extremely reasonable prices. Nearly all the books are donated by the local community.