One-Book Reading Info
Just got back from a children’s services meeting. As usual, I think I talked too much. Had lots of ideas to share with my beloved colleagues. (With such tight budgets, it’s been a LONG while since we’ve been able to have a youth services meeting of the minds.) Anywho, one of my ideas is to promote the city-wide reading of a single book to coincide with this year’s summer reading program. I’ve read of other schools, communities, and cities doing this. Why not start something NEW, (i.e., stir the pot where I work)?
I have since discovered that the Yorba Linda Public Library does a One-Book-Program. The Santa Monica Public Library does one. So does the Sierra Madre Library, which has just selected the awesome book Unbroken by Hillenbrand. The Walnut Creek Library states, “The annual choice is typically announced in May-June and the community events are planned in the fall giving the community the summer months to read and enjoy the book.” Bingo! That should work for us.
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) created this program in 2006. They provide grants (that the library or organization must match) for participating in what they call “The Big Read.” NEA also provides the list of books to choose from. The nitty gritty is that someone will have to undergo writing and submitting the grant. Uh oh, the deadline is February 5th! Should I embark on ANOTHER project?
Hey, California offers a similar one-book-read type grant called: Book-to-Action. This one is sponsored by the federal government’s Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds. It’s fairly new. Started just last year (2012). The Book-to-Action program incorporates community service. Click here for more information. (warning: the links to PDF applications don’t seem to work.) The videos are fabulously inspiring.
Orange County USED to participate in a one-book program, but hasn’t now since 2008. I suspect this is due to budget cuts. When library staff is spread so thin, nobody has the time to write grants that involve a considerable amount of thought and planning. Most So Cal Librarians are currently overloaded with day-to-day management and operations. Planning for the future is a luxury for now.
