Lots has changed in the years the Berryville Library has been in our current building. We expect lots will change in the years the library will be housed in the new building we are hoping to break ground on soon. That’s why we think it is so important as we move towards this bigger, better future to remember our roots. To that end, we have created the Berryville Library Legacy Project, which lets donors highlight a piece of local history of their choice by selecting photographs to be displayed on the end of a shelving unit at the new library. We also remain committed to helping create a sense of place through our collection, so we are going to highlight our Arkansas section this year. Each month, we’ll look at some of the different books and resources in that collection that feature unique parts of the history and culture of Berryville, Carroll County, the Ozarks, and Arkansas. There’s lots to explore about this place we call home! For July, we’re looking at local folklore.
When it comes to Ozark folklore and legends, Vance Randolph remains the preeminent name in the game, even decades after his death. We’ve highlighted his work on the blog before, but he gets name-checked every time we discuss local legends for a reason. A Kansan by birth but an Ozarker by choice, he lived in the region for 60 years and his compendiums of the area’s folklore even became national bestsellers. Our Arkansas section includes several of his books, including Stiff as a Poker, Sticks in the Knapsack, and The Devil’s Pretty Daughter.
For more general Arkansas folklore, we also have Hogs in the Bottom, which collects folklore from Delta families.
We also have The Arkansas Traveller Adapted for Today’s Readers, which relates the story of the famous song in a narrative book.
Are you a frequenter of our Arkansas section? Did you even know we had an Arkansas section? What’s your favorite Ozark legend? Tell us in the comments! As always, please follow this link to our online library catalog for more information on any of our items or to place them on hold.
Berryville Book Buzz 