Brookfield Library Names Book for 2nd Annual 'One Town, One Read'

From Brookfield Library:What is One Town, One Read? One Town, One Read (OTOR) is a town-wide reading program with the goal of building community spirit through a shared reading experience, by asking everyone in town to read the same book. This is the second consecutive year that Brookfield is participating in this program. The Brookfield Library OTOR committee has chosen, Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity and Love, by New York Times Bestselling Connecticut- based author Dani Shapiro. The library is planning many enrichment programs and discussions inspired by the themes within this book.

The kickoff for this year’s program is a Book Giveaway of 100 brand-new hardcover copies of Inheritance. To get one of these free books, yours to keep, come to The Brookfield Library on either Thursday, July 11, from 6 – 8 pm, or Saturday, July 13, from 11 am – 1 pm. This is sponsored by Eversource’s Community Impact Grant Program. “Our committee screened more than 60 titles in search of a book that would be well written, timely and a compelling read. Every librarian contributed their expertise to this selection. We looked for a story that would also inspire educational library programs. The objective of the One Town, One Read program is to
spark enthusiasm for reading together, as a community, and to inspire thoughtful discussion” said Library Director Yvonne Cech.

Programs for Brookfield’s OTOR will run throughout July, August and September. Author, Dani Shapiro, will visit The Brookfield Library in person on Monday, September 23, at 7:00 pm! Programming information will be available on the library’s Facebook page, Twitter @BrookfieldLib and on the library’s website: brookfieldlibrary.org. One Town, One Read is a generic name for a community-wide reading program that attempts to get everyone in a town or a city to read and discuss the same book. These programs take the idea of a localized book discussion club and expand it to cover a whole town or city. Typical activities for OTOR programs include book discussion sessions, scholarly lectures on the book or related topics, a visit by the author, exhibits, and related arts programming. The first OTOR program in the U. S. was “If All of Seattle Read the Same Book” in 1998, started by Nancy Pearlat Seattle Public Library’s Washington Center for the Book. Other cities copied the idea, and the Library of Congress now lists hundreds of programs around the country each year. The Center for the Book at the Library of Congress tracks all known One Town One Read programs and the books they have used.