Central West Libraries, including Cowra Library, are taking the traditional book club concept to the next level with its One Library One Book program.
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Central West Libraries Manager, Jan Richards, said the program aims to have everyone in the region read and discuss the same book, with Felicity McLean's book "The Van Apfel Girls Are Gone" the first cab off the rank.
"The One Library, One Book program takes the idea of a book club and expands it to cover an entire region," she said.
"The book is blackly comic, sharply observed and wonderfully endearing. We think it will resonate with the community and reflect connections our library service has with local organisations.
"We are thrilled to be bring this book to readers of the Central West. It is also available via ebook and audiobook through Central West Libraries," she said.
There will be 200 copies of the book distributed and added to the catalogues across the Central West Libraries footprint - Cowra, Cabonne, Blayney, Forbes and Orange.
With some distributed throughout regional towns for the community to take, read and pass on.
Author Felicity McLean said she was looking forward to attending local libraries to meet with readers in the first week of August to discuss the book and guest speaking to the Orange Readers and Writers Festival on August 3.
"I'm thrilled The Van Apfel Girls Are Gone has been chosen for the One Library, One Book initiative," she said.
"It's a fantastic program, in a special part of the world, and I'm grateful to everyone involved for encouraging reading throughout the community."
Ms McLean said the book was part mystery, part coming of age story and described it as "Picnic at Hanging Rock for a new generation".
Readers are also encouraged to spread the One Library One Book message on social media with readers asked to post discussions about the book and photos of themselves with the book on the facebook page https://www.facebook.com/CentralWestLibraries and #onelibraryonebook.