Books Range 4

Books Range 4 is an engaging and diverting anthology of newspaper columns written by Alaska librarian Greg Hill, whose shares some of the intriguing, humorous, thoughtful, and bizarre stories, facts, and fancies that he regularly encounters hanging out in libraries. As has been the case with all Books Range books, all gross proceeds from the sale of this book will go directly to the Guys Read Gals Read Inc and the Fairbanks Library Foundation, both 501c3 nonprofit organization.

Greg Hill ran public libraries for over 30 years, beginning in Seguin, Texas where with his job he inherited a weekly newspaper column. His predecessors journalistic efforts were limited to upcoming library programs and new books, and, finding that as tedious as it was limiting in appeal, he decided to describe in each column something unusual or interesting that arose during the course of a library workday. That item led to another, and that to another, until it finally linked back to the first one, and along the way he slipped a thing or two about reading, libraries, and books. Please note that Greg's never received a penny of remuneration from the three newspapers he's written for, since that would violate his professional code of ethics. All gross revenue from his books have gone to Guys Read Gals Read Inc and Fairbanks Library Foundation nonprofits. However, providing free copy to teh newspapers provided opportunities to get library programs covered, and so on. After a decade or so of composing these columns, he found that he'd come to appreciate, or even need, the writing process for several reasons. First, it allowed him to start and complete something. Successful library directors have to always juggle a couple dozen potential projects at various stages of becoming reality, knowing very few will reach fruition, and being able to begin and finish something can be immensely gratifying. Second, and most importantly, the writing process usually takes about three hours, and for that spate of time all the rest of the world drops away. It's a form of thoughtful meditation that's brought me great solace and respite. Third, the columns have led to meeting so many interesting, curious, intelligent, and delightful readers in which Alaska abounds. And as the local newspaper's book reviewer said of Greg's past anthologies, the brevity of each column makes them "perfect outhouse material."

Greg Hill ran public libraries for three decades, including 23 as director of the public libraries in Alaska, where reading's more important than most other parts of the nation. Raised in Texas, he and his family escaped to Alaska where rabid readers, intellectual freedom, artistic creativity, and a more thoughtful approach to living abound, as do adventures in librarying. These include smuggling library grant money into Siberia in the 1990s, publishing and distributing the American Library Bill of Rights throughout Russia, lecturing on the American way of libraries throughout Bulgaria, and removing evil-doers from the library building. Consequently, he was never bored for a moment working in libraries, where there is always something intriguingly interesting at hand. Before going to a good library school (UTAustin), he was a researcher for the U.S. State Department, and a legislative aide in the Texas State Legislature, and president (and starting right fullback) of the Fairfax. County Lions Soccer Club. His proudest achievement is being married for a half-century and helping raise four wonderful readers. He's also the founder and remains the board president of Guys Read Gals Read Inc., an award-winning nonprofit organization that for 18 years has successfully inspired 4th grade students to read for the sheer pleasure of it. A sidenote: Dipnetting is how Alaska residents can capture salmon by sticking six-foot nets mounted on 12-foot poles into Class IV rapids so filled with silt they look like chocolate milk and sound like radio static.