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    GCAC Presents: OHIO-WHATTA?

    The 85-year old library – with a somewhat confusing name – presents its annual book festival celebrating Ohio authors.

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    I knew I had a challenge on the first call I made after the Ohioana Library hired me in 2005. Connecting with the man in charge of contributions at a local company, I introduced myself: “Hello, I’m David Weaver from the Ohioana Library.” There was a brief awkward silence before he replied, “Ohio-whatta?”

    Library-Mouse-with-OBF-sign-2013You’d think that a library that’s been around for 85 years and was founded by no less than a First Lady of Ohio would be more familiar. Particularly in Columbus, which has always been its home. When Martha Kinney Cooper, an avid reader, became First Lady in 1929, she decided there should be a collection of books by Ohio authors in the Governor’s Mansion. From that simple idea, the Ohioana Library was born. In its first year, more than 600 books were donated. Today the Library, housed in the historic Jeffrey Mining Center, holds more than 75,000 books and other items in its collection.

    The Library’s programming also expanded: book awards were added in 1942 and a quarterly review journal in 1958.

    In 2007, the Ohioana Book Festival debuted. The 2014 festival, which is free and open to the public, takes place Saturday, May 10, at Fort Hayes. Nearly one-hundred Ohio authors will participate, including 10 featured authors. Among them are novelists, poets, illustrators, and a Pulitzer Prize-nominated essayist who once wrote for MTV’s Beavis and Butt-head. And hey, it’s not often you see the words “Pulitzer Prize” and “butt-head” in the same sentence.

    The Ohioana Book Festival has grown to become the largest literary event in Ohio and helped the library raise its profile significantly.

    But there’s still that confusing name. People know what an Ohioan is. But Ohioana? Someone once asked me if maybe we just goofed and added an “a” to the end of Ohioan. Sort of like when Dan Quayle added an “e” to the end of potato. Others think the library must jointly involve Ohio and Indiana. But no, it’s pretty simple: the Latin suffix “ana” means “pertaining to.” Like Americana. In our case, Ohioana means pertaining to Ohio literature and writers.

    There have been, and are, many fabulous writers from Ohio. Connecting them with readers is what the Ohioana Book Festival, is about. So join us on May 10. I promise you’ll have a great time. And after you’ve been there, if you should hear someone say “Ohio-whatta?” – you’ll know exactly who it is they’re talking about.

    The 8th annual Ohioana Book Festival is Saturday, May 10, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Fort Hayes Metropolitan Education Center, 546 Jack Gibbs Blvd., Columbus, OH 43215. Free admission. For information, call (614) 466-3831 or visit OhioanaBookFestival.org.

    GCAC Presents is a bi-weekly column brought to you by the Greater Columbus Arts Council – supporting art and advancing culture in Columbus – in partnership with the Columbus Arts Marketing Association, a professional development and networking association of arts marketers. Each column will be written by a different local arts organization to give you an insiders look at the arts in Columbus.

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    David Weaver
    David Weaver
    David Weaver became executive director of the Ohioana Library Association in 2013. His career in the arts and public broadcasting spans more than 40 years.
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