Big Read - What book is your local library celebrating this year?

Each year libraries across the country celebrate a community wide reading event called the Big Read.  According the Big Read website, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, "The Big Read supports organizations across the country in developing community-wide programs which encourage reading and participation by diverse audiences."  Sounds like a great idea...because it IS a great idea!


I have proudly been the Big Read leader at our library for the past  two years.  Each month our library, which serves a community of over 30,000 patrons, produces a monthly calendar that lists daily and month long activities.  For the Big Read our calendar is jam packed!  This year we are ALL reading one of the greatest books ever written, F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.  If you haven't read this book, it's an easy read that whisks the reader away(in a fast coupe) to the 1920s.  There's dames, dancing, drama, a giant, and an imperfect flower.  Are you interested in learning more - run to your library, cash in your free book credits on Amazon, or turn on your wi-fi  and learn to download a FREE copy through Overdrive at your local library.  Go ahead, get carried away.  I dare you.


In our library we will be incorporating themes of the Great Gatsby into much of our existing programming.  Like many libraries, our budget and staff hours are tight. Fortunately, we are extraordinarily resourceful and each year we get a few bucks to celebrate and promote this event.  We partner with local groups, use library volunteers and Kabam! - the community gets involved.(And our statistics have been on the rise!)  We'll be having storytimes involving the 1920s, fast cars, and dancing, our craft club will be making flapper style headbands, our Lego Club will be having a coupe car race, we'll be hosting movie nights, and families can win prizes by taking part in a literacy based reading activity.  Reading should be fun and our library staff works hard to spread this excitement and energy.  Your local probably has a few events as well and you can check here.  But I can tell you any library will welcome new faces - maybe take a trip to new library? 


I hope your library has a fun book to celebrate.  If the library is not reading an enjoyable novel, find a library that does.  If you're a real busy bee like me, download a copy of the book into your cloud reader, Nook, Kindle, or audio book.  If you're feeling adventurous, visit a book sale at a library.  Their books are cheap and all the money stays in the library.(At least in our communities it does.)  Maybe you'll meet a friend  who's also BIG on Reading.