Celebrate the 200th anniversary of the publishing of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" at Millard Branch.

2 p.m. "Jane Austen, Then and Now: Wit that Bites as it Charms" presented by Dr. Kristin Girten, Assistant Professor of English at UNO. Subject to the influence of marketing and movies, readers today might be inclined to place Jane Austen's novels under the heading "chick lit." However, during her lifetime, her writing had a much broader appeal. In fact, the Prince Regent (crowned George IV in 1820) was one of her greatest fans. Both men and women loved her fiction. They loved its unique voice, subtle comedy, biting wit, and social satire. They had never read anything like it. There had never been, nor will there ever be, an author like Jane Austen. This presentation explores the impact of Austen as both a writer and cultural icon, comparing her initial entrance into the literary marketplace in the early nineteenth century to her legacy as it persists today.

3 p.m. - "Where Did Jane Live?" Join Ruth Herr (Janeite for fifty years and former regional coordinator of the Jane Austen Society in Nebraska and Minnesota) as she shares her journey to England to follow in Jane Austen's footsteps. Visit Steventon,Reading, London, Bath, Southhampton, Chawton, and Winchester for a tour as Jane herself traveled 1775 to1817. Along the way we will be treated to trivia from 'Pride and Prejudice.'