Soon after the Easton Public Library closed its doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Kristine Oulman, the new youth services librarian, was looking for ways to connect with the Easton community during lockdown.
She created a video series called “Easton Public Library Community Book Chat” which highlights Easton community members and their favorite books. Since its first episode in April 2020, the series has featured authors, educators, artists, government officials, and others in a quick and informal chat via Zoom.
“As an Easton resident myself, I think this is such a great resource to find book recommendations and hear what my neighbors are up to,” Oulman said. All episodes are available on the Library’s website in the “Video Library” section: https://www.eastonlibrary.org/video-library.
The Library would like to thank everyone who has participated, and encourages anyone from the Easton community to contact Oulman at koulman@eastonlibrary.org to be a part of this engaging and fun series. The Library hopes to continue the conversation and highlight more favorite books that are available at the Library. The Library is currently open to the public and offering curbside pick-up.
Here is a list of all the guests the library has had so far and the books they discussed:
- Dave Bindelglass: The Outliers by Malcom Gladwell
- Kimberly Fox Santora: Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
- Dr. Tom McMoran: Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett
- Lucy Crossman : The Last Coyote by Michael Connely
- Dan Slater: Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe
- Lori Dougall: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
- Darcy Sholz: Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullay
- Elise Broach: Sea Wife by Amity Gaige
- Stephanie Christie: Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
- Nancy Doniger: Hooper Finds a Family by Jane Paley
Following is a sampling of three book chats, including the February chat with Nancy Doniger, Easton Courier executive editor, who reviews “Hooper Finds a Family: A Hurricane Katrina Dog’s Survival Tale” by Easton resident Jane Paley, a member of the Easton Courier editorial board. Easton author Elise Broach discusses “The Sea Wife” by Amity Gaige, and Dr. Thomas McMorran, former Easton, Redding and Region 9 schools superintendent, reviews “Wee Free Men” by Terry Pratchett.
