“The Journey to Hangtown Haven” by Arthur A. Edwards is displayed at the 2024 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference

The American Library Association (ALA) is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more than 140 years, the ALA has been the trusted voice for academic, public, school, government, and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the library’s role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all.

More than 13,500 attendees gathered in San Diego, CA, for the largest library event in the world. The ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition took place at the San Diego Convention Center from June 28 to July 2. Total attendance was 13,532, with 8,439 of them being attendees and 5,093 being exhibitors, authors, illustrators, press, and staff. 

Against a backdrop of increasing censorship and book challenges, library workers learned from each other and supported each other through the 175 educational programs throughout the conference. 

The conference opened with Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning host Trevor Noah and ALA Past President Lessa Kanani’opua Peyalo-Lozada in conversation discussing Noah’s upcoming book, “Into the Uncut Grass.”

ALA and Unite Against Book Bans hosted a second Rally for the Right to Read, which spotlighted the courage and resilience of library workers who are protecting the freedom to read.

ALA is now preparing for LibLearnX 2025, which will be held Jan. 24-27 in Phoenix. Next year’s ALA Annual will take place in Philadelphia. 

For more information, visit www.ala.org. 

Author Reputation Press’ published book, written by Arthur A. Edwards, was displayed at the 2024 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference from June 28 to July 2. The publisher and author of the book are honored and proud to be part of this annual conference.

Recently, Arthur A. Edwards’ masterpiece, “The Journey to Hangtown Haven,” was featured in the summer issue of The New York Times Book Review (NYTBR) Magazine of 2024. Current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed in The New York Times Book Review (NYTBR), a weekly paper magazine supplement to the Sunday edition of The New York Times (an American daily newspaper with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to be a growing 6 million paid digital subscribers). It is one of the most well-known and significant book reviews in the business.

Arthur A. Edwards was a naval officer and veteran of the Korean conflict who grew up in Northern California during the Depression and World War II. He studied warfare at the University of California, Berkeley, and has a library full of history books.

He is descended from a long line of veterans; two of his great-grandfathers served in the Union Army during the Civil War: a grandfather who tried to enlist in the Spanish-American War and a father who served in the Navy twice, once just as World War I ended and again in World War II.

Arthur graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and he worked in the aerospace industry, building weather and communication satellites. Every time he brings home another book on WW II, his wife asks, “Is there anything you don’t know about the war?”

Visit Arthur A. Edwards’ website at https://arthuredwardsbooks.com/.

His other books are The War We Almost Lost: How We Came Close To Losing World War II and War is Hell: A Tale of War and One Man’s Search for Meaning.

In partnership with Author Reputation Press, Arthur A. Edwards held a successful book signing event during the 2024 Los Angeles Festival of Books (LATFOB) at the University of Southern California. The Los Angeles Times held its much-awaited annual Festival of Books on April 20–21, 2024. The LATFOB is considered to be one of the world’s most significant literary gatherings. It has been held every year since 1996 with the goal of bringing together the people who create books and the people who love to read them. It is attended by more than 550 authors, celebrities, storytellers, and hundreds of exhibitors.

He was interviewed by CBS Radio’s host, Benji Cole. People of Distinction is one of the most wide-ranging radio shows in the United States, hosted by Benji Cole and Al Cole from CBS Radio. People of Distinction is the right fit for authors and readers to discover newly published books, mostly written by passionate and independent authors. Benji Cole, the host of the program, is a world-class interviewer, video formulator, Los Angeles actor, and filmmaker. He’s shared the acting stage with superstar Tom Hanks.

Also, he was interviewed in the Author Spotlight Interview, which is for authors to share their stories and inspire others in a more personal interview where readers will be encouraged to become leaders. Get to know more about the author and his work as you watch the full interview below:

“The Journey to Hangtown Haven” by Arthur Edwards is a moving and authentic portrayal of one man’s mission to bring compassion to the homeless. While celebrating the triumph of the human spirit, it doesn’t shy away from exposing the challenges faced by those advocating for change.

It presents how a group of committed volunteers, led by a retired aerospace engineer, built a homeless shelter in a gold rush community and how the power and financial elite closed it down.

Was it because Hangtown Haven was an unexpected success?

How does one build a successful homeless shelter that is legal, practical, and economical at no cost to the taxpayer?

A group of homeless volunteers led by a retired aerospace engineer, along with non-profit corporations and concerned churches, jumped into the fray and did just that. Not, however, without making mistakes and ruffling feathers along the way. No one could have predicted how controversial it would be to provide shelter to our neighbors who had no place to live. “We are going to build a modern dog shelter with $7 million, but don’t bother asking the county or the city for one penny to help our homeless citizens.”

So, the real question is, “How do you build a homeless shelter that works and is acceptable to the entire community with donations only?”

A Hollywood movie script and Hollywood movie treatment have been released for the book’s qualification for a Hollywood movie adaptation. The screenplay is the common ground on which producers, directors, actors, and production teams working on the movie will collaborate from start to finish, and it serves as a roadmap for them in terms of what will be seen on the big screen.

The central theme of “The Journey to Hangtown Haven” revolves around the profound and enduring impact of compassion, community, and resilience in the face of adversity. At its core, the film explores the transformative power of human connection, shedding light on the harsh realities faced by the homeless population while emphasizing the importance of empathy and understanding.