In 2002 Cabell County Public Library successfully launched a biennial regional book festival, The Ohio River Festival of Books (ORFOB). The people of the West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio Tri-State area have come to view this event as a chance to acquaint themselves with their literary heritage and mingle with others intent on the same. ORFOB 2012 will accomplish this by showcasing regional authors from the Tri-State, in addition to other authors that either have ties to the region or whose works address issues facing the Appalachian people. In 2010 the festival evolved into a week-long event, thus enabling authors to bring programs into area schools. Ultimately, the festival will introduce readers to literature that can help them achieve an understanding of their roots and gain insight to benefit future life choices.
