By JILL PROUTY

(This is the first in a series of commentary by Peachtree City Library Administrator Jill Prouty about reading.)

During a church sermon some years ago, I remember the pastor saying that you could tell a lot about a person’s life by looking at their checkbook register. I think he made this statement during a fund drive.

While that may be true, I think you can also learn a lot about a person by what they are reading. I frequently ask people, “Read any good books lately?” I thought it would be interesting to see what books some of the leaders in our community had on their bedside tables.

So I send out an interoffice memorandum asking, “What book do you have on your nightstand?”

Peachtree City mayor Harold Logsdon responded by saying he was reading, “The Servant Leader” by James A. Autry. Logsdon said that every organization depends on people and it was that dependence that made the City organization similar to any organization. “If you feel your management responsibilities deeply and if your emotional energies are engaged, and your approach to management is a calling, then you have likely become a leader.”

Councilman Stuart Kourajian, who frequents the library, said that he reads to relax and enjoys books with intrigue. He is currently in the middle of two James Patterson series, the Alex Cross novels and the Women’s Murder Club. He said he was eagerly waiting for the next Tom Clancy book. Stuart thought I might find it strange that he was also waiting for the next Harry Potter book. Me, too, Stuart.

Councilman Cyndi Plunkett was reading “The Chronicles of Narnia” by C.S. Lewis with her kids. She said she always has a self-help book going at the same time. Right now it’s “How to Speak Like A Pro” by Leon Fletcher.

Of course, I had to ask my boss, Leisure Services Director Randy Gaddo, to respond as he’s a writer himself. If you don’t know Randy, he’s a retired Marine who served as a combat correspondent. He currently does some freelance writing for military and recreation publications.

Randy was reading “Fly Boys” by James Bradley. He described the book as, “A very graphic story of eight U.S. Naval aviators who were taken prisoner, tortured and killed by the Japanese in February 1945. A total of nine were shot down, but the last person was rescued.” The 9th rescued aviator was former president George H.W. Bush.

“Fly Boys” is the follow-up to Bradley’s “Flags of Our Fathers,” which told the story of the six men who raised the flag on Iwo Jima, one of whom was Bradley’s father.

I’m currently working on a project to update the library’s Web site which will feature a new product that will enable staff to create book lists complete with jacket covers and reviews. We’re even going to provide a link inside each book description to the PINES catalog, so users can request the book. Perhaps we’ll ask our library patrons to share what’s on their bedside tables and feature it on our Web site.

What am I reading? I just finished “Contact” by Carl Sagan, a novel about a female scientist working for SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) who intercepts a message from outer space. SETI actually exists and it was timely reading since U.S. astronomers just announced that they have short-listed the top five candidate stars for those seeking to listen to radio signals from intelligent civilizations.

On my nightstand right now is “Close Range: Wyoming Stories” by Annie Proulx. And yes, the book includes the now famous short story, “Brokeback Mountain.” I haven’t seen the movie and it’s the last story in the book, so I haven’t read it yet. I refuse to cheat and skip to the end.

Speaking of “Brokeback,” I loved Larry McMurtry’s (Best Adapted Screenplay) speech at the Oscar’s. “Remember, ‘Brokeback Mountain’ was a book before it was a movie. From the humblest paperback exchange to the masters of the great bookshops of the world. All are contributors to the survival of the culture of the book. A wonderful culture, which we mustn’t lose.”

Amen to that. If only he had remembered to mention public libraries...

Jill Prouty has a master’s degree in library science from Clarion University of Pennsylvania and is the Library Administrator for Peachtree City Library (http://www.peachtree-city.org/library).

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