Catawba County News

Educated...About Off-Grid Entertainment

Published: October 23, 2019

Several months ago, the Library kicked off its participation in CVCC’s community-wide read of Educated, author Tara Westover’s memoir about breaking with her family’s beliefs in order to pursue a formal education.

This month, we’re looking at the circumstances of her upbringing as an End-of-Days survivalist in Idaho. Westover’s family was relatively isolated and had a strong distrust of doctors, public schools, and the federal government. They were careful about the information they consumed and often had to create their own version of mass-produced tools and equipment.

In that spirit, the Library is exploring what it means to live off the grid. We’re imagining what it’s like to not have cable or dish TV and rely on over-the-air signals for news and entertainment.

In our hands-on workshop, we’ll be using basic materials you can find at home or at the hardware store to build a homemade antenna. Tools will be available, but attendees are asked to bring pliers and regular and Phillips screwdrivers if they have them. At the end of the night, we’ll have made a good start on producing a functional, economical antenna to use for home viewing.

The program takes place at 6 pm on Tuesday, October 29 at the Southwest Branch Library in Mountain View. Registration is required; please call 828.466.6818 to reserve a space.