Program Description
Event Details
Nicki Jacobsmeyer will present her newest release, KENTUCKY'S PACKHORSE LIBRARIANS
About KENTUCKY'S PACKHORSE LIBRARIANS
Marking the ridgelines and hearts of the Appalachians during the Great Depression, packhorse librarians delivered hope, one book at a time.
When the Great Depression started, folks stumbled on hard times. Many lost their jobs and homes, and they struggled to support their families. But people craved hope for the future, and hope arrived with the packhorse librarians through Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal in 1933. Each week, children, families, and schoolhouses celebrated when their packhorse librarian arrived at their doors with books. After being handled by many cherished hands, reading materials needed to be taken out of circulation. The librarians constructed scrapbooks and filled them with beloved items―recipes, quilt patterns, pictures, and stories. Challenges awaited the librarians at every pass. From muddy creeks to snowy hillsides, the packhorse librarians delivered books and hope to their patrons. Although the program ended in 1943, the lasting effects on literacy and the communities these packhorse librarians visited can still be seen today.
About Nicki Jacobsmeyer:
Nicki started entertaining her imagination by writing stories down in elementary school. As she got older, she enjoyed inspiring and encouraging others through her writing. Over a decade ago, Nicki realized writing was her true passion and hasn't stopped since. She writes fiction and non-fiction for children and adults.
She has an obsession with research and reading. Since she panics if she's without a book, you can find a trail of them throughout her house and car. Although her laptop is not far away, she always writes her first draft with a #2 pencil and paper. Nicki collects pencils when she travels or persuades family and friends to bring one back as a souvenir. Each pencil has a story that inspires her as she writes.
When Nicki is not writing or reading, she is spending time with her husband, two boys, and fur babies. They remind her not to take life too seriously and to enjoy each moment. She and her hubby met at the University of Missouri-Columbia where she obtained her business degree. Mizzou-Rah! After school, she climbed the corporate ladder and then decided to start a family. Over a decade ago, she decided to chase her dreams and rekindle with the writer within. She loves to travel, theme parties, knit, family barbeques, sunsets, and watch a storm come in from her front porch.
She is represented by the fabulous Senior Agent Heather Cashman at Storm Literary Agency.
Special thanks to our partner on this event, Main Street Books!
Click HERE to find more books by Nicki Jacobsmeyer at the Library.