What if Everyone in Town Read the Same Book?

What if Everyone in Town Read the Same Book?

The One Book, One Community idea sprang from the mind of Nancy Pearl, librarian and author of the Book Lust series, in 1998 during her tenure as the Director of the Washington Center for the Book at the Seattle Public Library. By 2005 libraries in all fifty states had started a One Book program. It was a simple, elegant idea — strengthen a community by having them read and discuss the same book — proved an easy sell to libraries across the country serving a wide variety of populations. The American Library Association embraced the idea in 2003 and, through the Public Programs Office, helps libraries launch and market these programs. Local, regional and even state-wide One Book programs show the way this idea can scale given the need of the community involved. And despite the pandemic, many libraries have decided to move forward with their One Book programs, following local public health guidelines.

 


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For an example of how selecting a book works, I asked Esther Knox-Stutsman, the Operations Manager and librarian who is on the committee that chooses the One Book in my community of Broomfield, CO, to explain the basic steps. After deciding to pursue this program and putting it on the calendar, a selection committee is formed. This includes librarians, a representative from the city council as well as library patrons the community. They look at books recommended by both the librarians and the community. The guidelines for these books are deliberately broad to encourage a variety of options, but a well-received book (each community has its own standards, but a good review from a major publication such as Kirkus or Publishers Weekly is often preferred) that holds local appeal by a living author willing to come and give a community talk is the ideal. The selection committee reads all the books that fit their criteria and chooses the book for that year, although in some communities the committee selects a small number and then allows the public to vote on the winner. After the announcement, the book is made available in several formats through the library a few months before the author’s visit in order to give the community a chance to read it. Programming themed around the book happens in the months leading up to the author talk as well, with the goal of engaging the community in interesting conversations and allowing people to meet others in their community that shares a common interest. The size and scope of the event and specifics of the community differ, but most One Book programs follow a similar format.