In an effort to stimulate an interest in reading, the Fall River Public Library hosted the C-SPAN 2 BookTV bus on a visit to the city for a live demonstration of its capabilities. Visitors were able to check out the mobile studio, learn about its special equipment, and see what goes into producing a television show that is broadcast world-wide from the mobile studio. C-SPAN is a public cable television service that broadcasts BookTV each weekend from 8:00 a.m. Saturday to 8:00 a.m. Monday. The show includes interviews with nationally-recognized authors on current events, politics and history, among other subjects. The bus is equipped with eight cameras inside and out that can be operated remotely from a studio deck in the back of the bus. The front portion of the vehicle is set up as a studio in which interviews can be conducted. The bus was constructed a year ago at a cost of more than $1 million. The bus tours the country year around, visiting book fairs, libraries, colleges and book stores. Interviews are conducted with local authors, including Fall River Public Library Administrator Keith Stavely, who, along with his wife Kathleen who co-authored American's Founding Food: The Story of New England Cooking, was interviewed last May by BookTV.  Fall River native Joseph S. Conforti was also interviewed at that time regarding his recent  book, Saints and Strangers: New England in British North America. Conforti is Professor of American and New England Studies at the University of Southern Maine in Portland, Maine. The Fall River visit was sponsored by Comcast and the Friends of the Fall River Library. For more information, contact Mr. Stavely at 508-324-2700.
 

(Top row) The C-SPAN 2 Book TV bus parked outside the main Fall River Public Library on North Main Street on August 25, 2006, to highlight its features to the public. (Top row, right) Library staff member Liane Verville boards the bus. (Middle row, left) Bertha and William Beliveau listen to the presentation with Fall River Library Director Keith Stavely aboard the bus. (Middle row, center) Marketing representative Scott Peterson welcomes the group to the vehicle. (Middle row, right) Scott talks about how interviews with authors are authors are conducted to Children’s Librarian David Mello, staff members David Moquin and Liane Verville, Bertha and William Beliveau and Library Administrator Keith Stavely. (Bottom row, right) Driver and technician Terance Bilal explains some of the technological features of the on-board studio.