Angela Baldwin
Staff Reporter
“I didn’t start out with 40 books, they just found me,” Jane Sharpe, Associate Librarian, told a chuckling audience at her yearly event, Books Sandwiched In. Yes, this year, 40 books were on her list of great books for holiday gifts.
This annual event of holiday cheer started when, “Several years ago, we had different guests review a book for this program and I thought how about having someone review a few books for the holiday season, books for gifts,” said Sharpe.Sharpe herself took on this presentation and as time went on, decided to try and do the “books for holiday gifts program” annually. She volunteered herself to keep the program alive, and she has “been doing it ever since.”
So, how does she go about choosing these books every year? According to Sharpe, she begins this process around August. She finds these selections in the bookstores, through magazines, newspapers and television.
In addition, Sharpe claims, “Sometimes the books just find me?are sent to me or I keep seeing them again and again.”
Though she begins in August and gets a few books in mind in September, she says, “By mid-October, I get serious.”
Since there are so many books out in the world, Sharpe narrows it down by focusing on what she would buy for people
on her list.
Next, she adds books of certain kinds, “like local history, local authors, biographies, board books,” she said.
Sharpe also uses her locality to help choose her selection. She goes to her local bookstore, Locust Books, to look for ones that “catch her eye” and that are recommended by the owner Tim Bryson and staff.
This year was special because of a tragic event. A favorite author, Tasha Tudor, died this year. As a result, Sharpe has included one of her books, titled A is for Annabelle: a Doll’s Alphabet. In addition, two of the books had anniversaries.
After she chooses her books, Sharpe recalls, “I look over and read most of the books, read the reviews and make notes.” After that, is, of course the event itself, Books Sandwiched In, where she shares with the audience what she has found and read.