What's Happening at YOUR Library?

This November Ozark Regional Library will host three exemplary Ozark writers: Bill Hart, Steve Wiegenstein, and Phillip Howerton. These presentations will take place at the Fredericktown library throughout November.

Historic Missouri Roadsides by Bill Hart,Thursday, November 2nd, at 5:30 PM

Land of Joys by Steve Wiegenstein, Thursday, November 16th, at 5:30 PM

Cryptozarkia by Phillip Howerton,Thursday, November 30th, at 5:30 PM

Books will be available for purchase at all events.

*Registration is encouraged to ensure the library has adequate seating. To sign up for this program, visit an Ozark Regional Library branch or fill out our online registration by clicking on the event poster at ozarkregional.org. For any questions about this program, please call (573) 546-2615.

Bill Hart will present his book Historic Missouri Roadsides at Fredericktown library on Thursday, November 2nd, at 5:30PM.

Hart’s book was published in 2015 by Reedy Press and features six history tours of Missouri on two-lane highways. Like a travel guide, the book lists places to eat, visit and stay but include only businesses owned locally, supporting an interest in local history and intended to bolster tourism. The second edition of this book was published in 2019. Bill Hart has traveled the roads of Missouri in every one of its 114 counties.

Hart is a seventh generation Missourian, having grown up in Perry County in Southeast Missouri where his fourth great grandfather settled just before 1800. His interest in small town and roadside Missouri was fostered by his work with the Missouri Alliance for Historic Preservation, where he worked for thirteen years, serving as their Executive Director. He currently serves as Director of the Perry County (Missouri) Historical Society. Bill holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Historic Preservation from Southeast Missouri State University. He did his graduate work in Architectural History at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. Before coming to Missouri Preservation, Mr. Hart owned an award-winning development and construction company that specialized in the renovation of historic buildings.

Books will be available for purchase at this event. Cash, cards, or checks will be accepted.

*Registration is encouraged to ensure the library has adequate seating. To sign up for this program, visit an Ozark Regional Library branch or fill out our online registration by clicking on the event poster at ozarkregional.org. For any questions about this program, please call (573) 546-2615.

Watch for announcements about additional programs at ozarkregional.org or visit Ozark Regional Library System on Facebook or Instagram.

Historic Missouri Roadsides by Bill Hart Registration Form

Steve Wiegenstein—Missouri Library Association’s 2022 Missouri Author Award recipient—will present his upcoming book Land of Joys at Fredericktown library on Thursday, November 16th, at 5:30PM.

Wiegenstein is the author of five books, most recently Land of Joys, a historical novel that takes place at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair and in the fictional Ozarks village of Daybreak. His short story collection Scattered Lights was a finalist for the 2021 PEN/Faulkner Award in Fiction. Steve grew up in Fredericktown until he was ten, when his family moved to Annapolis. He worked in the area as a newspaper reporter before entering the field of higher education. He taught journalism, English, and communication, but is now retired from teaching and writes full-time. An avid hiker and canoer, he returns to his home region every chance he gets; he also writes and blogs about rural and Ozarks issues at stevewiegenstein.wordpress.com.

Books will be available for purchase at this event. Cash, cards, or checks will be accepted.

*Registration is encouraged to ensure the library has adequate seating. To sign up for this program, visit an Ozark Regional Library branch or fill out our online registration by clicking on the event poster at ozarkregional.org. For any questions about this program, please call (573) 546-2615.

Watch for announcements about additional programs at ozarkregional.org or visit Ozark Regional Library System on Facebook or Instagram.

Land of Joys by Steve Wiegenstein Registration Form

On Thursday, November 30th, at 5:30 PM, Phillip Howerton will present Cryptozarkia. In this presentation, Howerton will discuss several cryptid creatures thought to be lurking in the Ozarks and will explore the purpose and value of such beliefs and legends.

Phillip Howerton is a professor of English at Missouri State University-West Plains. His essays, reviews, and poems have appeared in a wide variety of publications. His poetry collection, The History of Tree Roots, was published by Golden Antelope Press in 2015, and his anthology, The Literature of the Ozarks, was published by University of Arkansas Press in 2019. A second poetry collection, Gods of Four Mile Creek, is forthcoming from Golden Antelope Press. He is the managing editor and owner of Cornerpost Press, and he received the 2019 Missouri Literary Award from the Missouri Library Association.

Books will be available for purchase at this event. Cash only will be accepted.

*Registration is encouraged to ensure the library has adequate seating. To sign up for this program, visit an Ozark Regional Library branch or fill out our online registration by clicking on the event poster at ozarkregional.org. For any questions about this program, please call (573) 546-2615.

Watch for announcements about additional programs at ozarkregional.org or visit Ozark Regional Library System on Facebook or Instagram.

It’s fall story time at Ozark Regional Library! From September 25th to November 2nd, we’ll sing songs, read stories, do arts and crafts, and learn fun rhymes at the library.

The programs will be at:

• Ozark Regional Library-Annapolis, Mondays at 10 AM
• Viburnum City Hall, Tuesdays at 10 AM
• Ozark Regional Library-Ironton, Wednesdays at 10 AM
• Ozark Regional Library-Fredericktown, Thursdays at 10 AM

Watch for announcements about additional programs at ozarkregional.org or visit Ozark Regional Library System on Facebook or Instagram.

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is a nationwide initiative that promotes the joy of story. This free program ranges from newborn to just before kindergarten.