Burton Barr Central Library presents “The Arizona Cowboy: Then and Now” with storyteller Dean Cook in a free lecture and performance, from 7 – 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 3, at 1221 N. Central Ave.

Cook is a songwriter, storyteller and cowboy poet. A native Arizonan, he weaves his life experiences into songs and stories about the West as it was, is and should have been.

The presentation is part of AZest for the West, a multi-year project to promote Arizona history to people of all ages through cultural programming, leading up to the Arizona Centennial in February 2012.