Evelyn C. McDonald
Arts & Culture Reporter
March 31, 2016 11:23 a.m.
My fondness for book stores started in college. I grew up in a small town and we didn’t have a book store so Follett’s Book Store in Ann Arbor was a revelation. I still love book stores, even the “big box” stores such as Barnes & Noble. There’s something about being in a book store that makes me feel that I’ve opened a door onto the world.
We are lucky to have book stores in Fernandina. I am particularly fond of The Book Loft for a number of reasons. The store is in an old building so the layout is casual. Upstairs there’s room for reading.
What’s interesting about The Book Loft is its community outreach. I just received the April email newsletter and marveled at the variety of programs the store supports. As expected, there are book signings. The store supports local authors and will host a book launch party this Saturday for Stephen Leimberg, and Scott and Dawna Moore’s photo book “A Day On Amelia Island.” Local author John Gillgren has a series of adventure books “for young adults or the young at heart.” He will be signing books on April 23. There will be a half dozen other book signings during the month.
The Book Loft doesn’t stop at book signings. I’ve gone to coloring sessions there and the plan is to continue these sessions monthly. Two classes in Conversational French are ongoing – one for beginners and the other for more advanced speakers. Each month features a children’s story time session. This month’s session, “A Rainbow of Colors” will be held on April 11. In addition, there are workshops on a variety of subjects and a book club.
Terri Dean is currently doing a series of monthly workshops entitled “Third Thursday Creative Hours.” For April 21, the topic is Vision Boards. This session will have attendees cutting out words and pictures to create a collage that represents ideas and aspirations. Nancy Blanton is conducting a workshop entitled “Brand Yourself Royally.” Nancy is a local author who brings her expertise to assist others in promoting their works.
Community outreach also includes partnering with local organizations such as the Friends of the Library and the Book Festival. The Book Loft is always ready to help.
You can find The Book Loft at 214 Centre Street downtown. Their phone number is 904-261-8991. Their email is [email protected]. If you contact them, they will put you on the distribution list for their monthly email newsletter. Then you can look over the variety of programs to find something of interest and make the book store your destination.
Evelyn McDonald moved to Fernandina Beach from the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. in 2006. She is a chair of Arts & Culture Nassau, a city commission charged with support of the arts in Nassau County. She serves on FSCJ’s Curriculum Committee for the Center for Lifelong Learning. She is also the chair of the Dean’s Council for the Carpenter Library at the UNF. Ms. McDonald has MS in Technology Management from the University of Maryland’s University College and a BA in Spanish from the University of Michigan.