The Book Is Not For Sale

"Cedar Key Everlasting: The Story and Significance of Shellfish Aquaculture in Cedar Key" - a 40-page, full-color book of photos and essays - was introduced to the public April 14 following a social and clam bake at the Cedar Key Community Center and an address by Cynthia Barnett, author of "Mirage" (2008) and "Blue Revolution" (2011) and of the opening essay in "Cedar Key Everlasting."

City Commissioner Sue Colson and the UF/IFAS Shellfish Aquaculture Extension Program`s Leslie Sturmer MC`d the evening and described how over seven years their 2005 concept of an 8"x10" tri-fold brochure, intended to introduce the working fishing town of Cedar Key to its visitors, grew by 2012 into a 40-page book.

The original intention has not changed: the book is designed to be distributed without charge to visitors to Cedar Key, particularly through the local growers` associations (the Cedar Key Aquaculture Association and the Oystermen`s Association) and by local motels and condos. For the latter use, copies of the book will be identified as the property of the lodging establishment and placed in each unit; guests will be asked to leave the book behind for the next visitor.

The challenge now? Walking a bit of a tightrope between wanting to give the book the largest possible distribution - and not wanting to incur the expense of additional printings. (The Cedar Key Aquaculture Association funded the growth of the project as it grew from the 8"x10" tri-fold brochure, in partnership with the Legacy Institute for Nature and Culture (LINC) and the University of Florida`s Shellfish Extension Program, with additional funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities through the Florida Humanities Council.)

For non-visitors, copies may be browsed through or checked out from the Cedar Key Library.