By PHOEBE DONALD ROBINSON / Community Columnist

The City of Columbiana, the Harrison Regional Library and the Friends of the Columbiana Public Library cordially invite the public to a Harper Lee Celebration to celebrate the release of Harper Lee’s sequel “Go Set a Watchman” to her iconic novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird” on Thursday, Aug. 6 at 5 p.m. at the Harrison Regional Library Meeting Room located at 50 Lester Street in Columbiana.

Dr. J. Mark Baggett, associate professor of English and Law, will be the guest lecturer.

Baggett joined the faculty of Samford University in 1987 working in both the Department of English and the Cumberland School of Law.

In 1989 he was awarded the Outstanding Faculty Member award.

He is a current member and past president of the Association of College English Teachers of Alabama (ACETA) and past president of the Samford Faculty Senate.

He will lecture on Harper Lee’s works. At Cumberland he teaches two sections of the first-year legal research and writing course.

At Samford he has taught American literature, History of the Language, Senior Thesis, Honors Seminar and Law of Mass Media. His Ph.D. dissertation was on Mark Twain.

Mockingbird is one of the greatest American novels ever written, a fine example of Southern literature.

The release of Mockingbird’s sequel promises to be the literary event of the year.

The tribute to Lee will begin at 5 p.m. with refreshments, a light supper, hosted by FOL members: Linda Major, Peggy Wood, Olivia Kalin, Sarah Atchison, Beth Strickland, Anne Thomas, Beverly Hall, Barbara Robinson, Judi Elliott, Jennie Owens and Judy Jones.

Tom Rary is executive director of the Columbiana Public Library, and Phoebe Robinson is president of the Friends of Columbiana Public Library.

At 5:30 p.m. a copy of “Go Set a Watchman” will be given as a door prize. Mayor Stancil Handley will give greetings followed by Baggett’s lecture on Harper Lee’s works.

At the conclusion of Baggett’s lecture, another door prize “Go Set a Watchman” will be awarded followed by an open forum public discussion of both Harper Lee books.

At the conclusion, a final door prize, a set of both books, “To Kill a Mockingbird” and Go Set a Watchman,” will be given.