Cannelton library hosts Little Cookbook Club to share recipes and community

The Perry County Public Library's Cannelton branch is holding its Little Cookbook Club today at 11:30 a.m., inviting local residents to bring a dish made from any recipe source and join a tasting-and-conversation session. Participants are encouraged to prepare dishes from cookbooks, family recipes, social media, or their own creations, then sample each other's food and exchange ideas for future meals.

The event is part of a broader slate of winter programming the library is running across its branches, including a Snacks & Chat book club, craft workshops, and regular storytimes for children. Library organizers say the gathering is informal and designed to foster conversation, culinary skills, and neighbor-to-neighbor connections without cost to attendees. Registration and additional event details are available through the Perry County Public Library events page or by contacting the Cannelton branch directly.

For Perry County residents, the Little Cookbook Club is more than a potluck: it is a low-cost, practical way to share cooking knowledge, stretch household meal budgets, and build social capital. In a county where local gathering spots have narrowed in recent years, neighborhood-run programs at public libraries provide free access to community space, informal education, and support networks that can translate into economic resilience. Recipe swaps can introduce cooks to budget-friendly substitutions, seasonal shopping tips, and techniques that reduce food waste—small changes that add up in household budgets.

The library's winter schedule also offers programming useful to families and older residents—storytimes give caregivers a routine activity for young children, craft workshops can double as skill-building sessions, and the Snacks & Chat book club creates a recurring social hour. Those regular touchpoints help libraries serve as civic anchors, keeping foot traffic steady for branch operations and signaling to county policymakers the value of continued investment in library services.

Longer term, community-led programs like the Little Cookbook Club can incubate local initiatives—informal culinary meetups sometimes evolve into farmers market partnerships, community gardens, or even small food-business collaborations that retain spending within the county. Increased participation in library programs strengthens arguments for stable funding and can lead to expanded hours, programming, and outreach.

The takeaway? Bring a dish, swap a recipe, and treat the library like the community kitchen it is. Our two cents? If you enjoy good food and good conversation, this is an easy, budget-friendly way to make new neighbors and pick up practical tips for your next weeknight dinner.