The post The library is moving: What you need to know appeared first on Newton Public Library.
]]>Newton Public Library is getting ready to move into its new building. Here is what you need to know about our plans for closing, reopening, and library services.
• Our last day serving the public in the current library will be Saturday, March 2. The library will be closed starting Monday, March 4, as we move our collection and get situated in the new building.
• We anticipate opening in the new library on Monday, April 1. More details on a ribbon-cutting or other opening-day celebration will be announced closer to that time.
• During the closure, the public won’t be able to reach library staff by phone. The best ways to reach us will be email – library@newtonplks.org – or Facebook message. Responses may be delayed, particularly during the week of March 4-8.
• After the new library opens, there will still be ongoing work in Phase 2 to demolish the existing library and create off-street parking. This work is expected to be complete in late summer 2024.
• Patrons are welcome to borrow items right up until closing time at 6 p.m. on March 2. The more you check out, the less we have to move! Due dates that would normally fall during the closure will be extended until after we reopen.
• Those who want to return items during the closure should be able to put them in the new library building’s exterior book drop, which we plan to have open during the move. However, there may be substantial delays in materials check-in, because our computer systems will be offline at various times during the transition.
• The last day to request interlibrary loan materials will be Wednesday, Jan. 31. All interlibrary items will need to be returned no later than Feb. 29. This includes both community book club and general patron requests. Community book clubs that need books for March are encouraged to use our book sets.
• The library’s collection of e-books and digital audiobooks is always available, 24/7. For more information on digital borrowing, visit www.newtonplks.org/ebooks, or contact the library.
• Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)’s 2024 season will start at the current building on Feb. 5, then move to Immanuel Baptist Church during the library closure, before concluding in the new facility. VITA info sheets and packets are available now. For full VITA hours, dates and information, go to www.newtonplks.org/tax.
• The ENLITE delivery service for patrons who are homebound or live in senior communities will not be offered during March.
• Library-sponsored book clubs (Third Thursday, Mystery Lovers, Nonfiction and Sci-Fi/Fantasy) will not meet during March.
Follow Newton Public Library on Facebook to keep up to date with closing and opening announcements.
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]]>The post Library staff’s favorite books of 2023 appeared first on Newton Public Library.
]]>Newton Public Library staff members were busy readers in 2023! Here are some of our favorites from the year that was.
To view this list within the library’s online catalog, click here. (A few staff picks are available only via interlibrary loan.)
Zamora, Javier. Solito. In Solito, Javier Zamora tells his own story of crossing the U.S.-Mexico border to join his parents, who migrated north due to the Salvadoran Civil War. As a nine-year-old traveling alone, he is taken under wing by fellow migrants who risk their own success and safety to ensure that they make it across together. This must-read is both a devastating account of the realities along the U.S.-Mexico border and a humanizing portrayal of the people who are compelled to make the journey. Sara’s Pick
Callahan, Patti. Once Upon a Wardrobe. My favorite read this year was Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan (Henry). In it, Megs Devonshire sets out to fulfill her younger brother George’s last wish by uncovering the truth behind his favorite Narnia stories, written by C.S. Lewis. Rather than directly telling her where Narnia came from, Lewis encourages Megs to form her own conclusion as he shares the little-known stories from his own life that led to his inspiration. What transpires is a fascinating look at the life-changing magic of stories. After holding so tightly to logic and reason, her brother’s request leads Megs to absorb a more profound truth: “The way stories change us can’t be explained. It can only be felt. Like love.” A beautifully written book with much wisdom to ponder! Kristin’s Pick
Patchett, Ann. Bel Canto. Great characters, unique setting, lots of food for thought! Sharon’s Pick
Le Guin, Ursula. Annals of the Western Shore. I’ve long been a fan of Le Guin, but I somehow overlooked this late-career trilogy, which Le Guin started writing at the age of 75 and finished at 78. This is Le Guin’s final foray into the fantasy world-building she undertook, to greater acclaim, in the Earthsea and Hainish novels, and here she shows total mastery over her chosen tools and methods. Le Guin uses fantasy devices sparingly, and in the service of her thematic and metaphorical ambitions, never to collar the reader’s attention. The themes of Annals are liberty and slavery. What does it mean to be free, both in body and in spirit? How can a society come to be free, or unfree?
King, Stephen. The Outsider. “An eleven-year-old boy’s violated corpse is discovered in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City’s most popular citizens–Terry Maitland, Little League coach, English teacher, husband, and father of two girls. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. Maitland has an alibi, but Anderson and the district attorney soon have DNA evidence to go with the fingerprints and witnesses. Their case seems ironclad. As the investigation expands and horrifying details begin to emerge, King’s story kicks into high gear, generating strong tension and almost unbearable suspense. Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, but is he wearing another face? When the answer comes, it will shock you as only Stephen King can.” Dan’s Pick
King, Stephen. Holly. “Stephen King’s Holly marks the triumphant return of beloved King character Holly Gibney. Readers have witnessed Holly’s gradual transformation from a shy (but also brave and ethical) recluse in Mr. Mercedes to Bill Hodges’s partner in Finders Keepers to a full-fledged, smart, and occasionally tough private detective in The Outsider. In King’s new novel, Holly is on her own, and up against a pair of unimaginably depraved and brilliantly disguised adversaries.” Dan’s Pick
Forsyth, Frederick. The Day of the Jackal. “The Jackal. A tall, blond Englishman with opaque, gray eyes. A killer at the top of his profession. A man unknown to any secret service in the world. An assassin with a contract to kill the world’s most heavily guarded man.” CJ’s Pick
Clarke, Susanna. Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. In the midst of the Napoleonic Wars in 1806, most people believe magic to have long since disappeared from England – until the reclusive Mr. Norrell reveals his powers and becomes an overnight celebrity. Another practicing magician then emerges: the young and daring Jonathan Strange. He becomes Norrell’s pupil, and the two join forces in the war against France. CJ’s Pick
Mitchell, David. Cloud Atlas. “In a narrative that boomerangs through centuries and space, Mitchell reveals how his disparate characters connect, how their fates intertwine, and how their souls drift across time like clouds across the sky.” CJ’s Pick
Noble, Diane. The Sister Wife. This is a great historical fiction novel about the start of the Mormon religion, and the lives of women who have to come to grips with the idea of having plural families, and how that tests their faith. Rachel’s Pick
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]]>The post Announcing our new logo! appeared first on Newton Public Library.
]]>Newton Public Library revealed its new logo during a Newton Chamber of Commerce event on Thursday, Aug. 31.
“With the new library building slated to open this spring, we thought this would be a great time to refresh our visual identity,” said Dr. Cari Cusick, library director. “This new logo is contemporary, it’s colorful, and it gives us lots of great options as we update the designs of our library publications, marketing materials and swag.”
The logo was created by Wichita graphic artist Tracy Holdeman, creative director of Insight Design. Holdeman has designed high-profile logos such as those of Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Vornado. He also created the Newton Chamber’s new logo.
An inevitable question with any new logo is what it means, or what it represents. Sometimes, there is a clear answer; usually, not. Newton Public Library’s new logo is fundamentally abstract, but it is intended to suggest the library’s mission and role in the community.
“I kind of look at it as people coming together. The library is a hub for people of different stripes – different colors and beliefs. It’s a safe place for everyone,” Holdeman said.
The squared-off ends of the swirling shapes could also suggest the opened pages of books.
Holdeman spent childhood summers in Newton with his grandmother, then spent a few years living with her after college. He later designed a collection of bestselling calendars and figurines based on her sayings and stories, called “Grandma Mabel’s Legacy.”
“Doing a logo for the Newton Public Library was like the pinnacle for me, because of my grandma. It was a thrill for me,” Holdeman said.
Newton Public Library’s now-former logo was introduced in 2006, in conjunction with the institution’s 120th anniversary. The library held a public design competition, and the winning design was submitted by Susan Bartel, a well-known Newton artist who was then a member of the library’s staff.
Bartel’s design, which could perhaps be said to show the pages of a book transforming into the wings of a butterfly, will still be seen on library materials and signage for a long time to come and will always have a place as the “retro” or “throwback” logo.
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]]>The post We’re switching catalogs! What you need to know appeared first on Newton Public Library.
]]>Newton Public Library will roll out new catalog and circulation software on Monday afternoon, Aug. 28. The new system has some great features that we can’t wait to share! There are a few things you need to know as we get ready to execute the switchover:
• The library will be closed on Friday, Aug. 25, in part so that staff can train on the new software. The library will also close early, at 3 p.m., on Monday, Aug. 28, to start the actual system migration.
• Digital borrowing (e-books and e-audiobooks) may be unavailable from Monday afternoon, Aug. 28, until Tuesday morning, Aug. 29. Once that’s back online, you may need to log back into the Sunflower eLibrary on the Libby app, using your NPL card number.
• Your PIN/password will be reset to the last 4 digits of the primary phone number on your account. This will affect both Libby/Overdrive and your NPL account login. If you have trouble logging back in, please don’t hesitate to call 316-283-2890 or stop by the library for assistance.
• Unfortunately, your notification preferences (text messages, emails or phone calls) cannot be exported to the new system. If your library account has a saved email address, you will receive email notifications by default. If not, you will receive phone calls by default. Text message notifications are still available; please contact the library on Tuesday, Aug. 29, or later, if you would like to switch back to texts or otherwise adjust your notification preferences.
• Reading lists you may have saved within the current catalog website will not be transferred. If you’d like to preserve your lists, please use the built-in “Email List” function, or print them off before Monday. The new catalog website will also allow you to bookmark items for future reference, but those selections will need to be transferred manually.
Library cards and card numbers will not change, and patron records (address, items currently checked out, etc.) will transfer to the new system.
If you have the online catalog bookmarked in your web browser, you will need to update the URL. The new, direct URL is: https://newtonplks.biblionix.com/catalog. (Please continue to use the old URL until Tuesday.) If you usually access the online catalog by going to www.newtonplks.org and clicking on the “Search Catalog” link, that will continue to work.
We apologize for any inconvenience during this transition, and we appreciate your patience and support as we work to make the library more effective!
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]]>The post Historian and tour leader to join ‘White Mosque’ discussion appeared first on Newton Public Library.
]]>John Sharp will join Newton Public Library’s Nonfiction Book Club for a special discussion of The White Mosque, by Sofia Samatar, at noon on Friday, Sept. 8.
Sharp is a recently-retired historian who taught at Hesston College, and a former director of the Mennonite Church USA Historical Committee and Archives. In 2016, he led a tour group, including Samatar, that followed in the footsteps of 19th-century Mennonites who traveled from Russia into Central Asia, where their charismatic leader predicted Christ would return.
Samatar was fascinated not only by the hardships of the Mennonites’ journey, but by its aftermath: the establishment of a small Christian village in a Muslim region that is now part of Uzbekistan – named Ak Metchet, or The White Mosque, after the whitewashed church the Mennonites built there.
The White Mosque is the memoir Samatar wrote following her tour experience. It is a historical tapestry of border-crossing travelers, students, wanderers, martyrs and invaders, as well as a record of the strange shifts, encounters and accidents that combine to create an identity.
Sharp will share his deep knowledge of this “Mennonite Great Trek to Central Asia,” answer questions and help facilitate discussion of the book.
Copies of The White Mosque are available for borrowing at Newton Public Library. Ask at the public service desk or call 316-283-2890. Nonfiction Book Club, like all library-sponsored book clubs, is open to the public.
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]]>The post August’s book club picks appeared first on Newton Public Library.
]]>August’s book club picks are now available for borrowing! Just ask for a copy at the public service desk. These books are for anyone to borrow; you don’t have to attend the associated discussion. Here’s a bit more about each book:
Blindsighted, by Karin Slaughter. A small Georgia town erupts in panic when a young college professor is found brutally mutilated in the local diner. But it’s only when town pediatrician and coroner Sara Linton does the autopsy that the full extent of the killer’s twisted work becomes clear. Sara’s ex-husband, police chief Jeffrey Tolliver, leads the investigation, which grows even more macabre a few days later, when another local woman is found crucified.
Old Man’s War, by John Scalzi. Everybody knows that when you reach retirement age, you can join the Colonial Defense Force. The CDF doesn’t want young people; they want people who carry the skills of decades of living. You’ll serve two years at the front. If you survive, you’ll be given a generous homestead of your own one of our hard-won colony planets. John Perry is taking the deal. He has a vague idea of what to expect. The actual fight is far harder, and stranger, than he can imagine.
Olive the Lionheart, by Brad Ricca. In 1910, Olive MacLeod, a 30-year-old, redheaded Scottish aristocrat, received word that her fiancé, the famous naturalist Boyd Alexander, was missing in Africa. So she went to find him. This is the thrilling true story of her astonishing journey. In jungles, swamps, cities and deserts, Olive comes face-to-face with cobras, a murderous leopard cult, a haunted forest, and even two adorable lion cubs that she adopts as her own. It’s a love story that defies all boundaries.
The Boy in the Field, by Margot Livesey. One September afternoon in 1999, teenagers Matthew, Zoe and Duncan Lang are walking home from school when they discover a boy lying in a field, bloody and unconscious. Thanks to their intervention, the boy’s life is saved. In the aftermath, all three siblings are irrevocably changed. Over the course of the autumn, as each of the siblings confronts the complications and contradictions of their approaching adulthood, they find themselves at once drawn together and driven apart.
Want regular email updates about our book clubs? Head to our newsletter sign-up page and select “Book Discussions!”
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]]>The post July’s library book club picks appeared first on Newton Public Library.
]]>Death by Bubble Tea, by Jennifer J. Chow
When Yale Yee discovers her cousin Celine is visiting from Hong Kong, she is obliged to play tour guide to a relative she hasn’t seen in twenty years. Not only that, but her father thinks it’s a wonderful idea for them to bond by running a food stall together at the Eastwood Village Night Market. Yale hasn’t cooked in years, and she hardly considers Celine’s career as a social media influencer as adequate experience, but because she’s just lost her job, she feels she has no choice.
The Dispossessed, by Ursula K. Le Guin
A bleak moon settled by utopian anarchists, Anarres has long been isolated from other worlds, including its mother planet, Urras – a civilization of warring nations, great poverty, and immense wealth. Now Shevek, a brilliant physicist, is determined to reunite the two planets, which have been divided by centuries of mistrust. He will seek answers, question the unquestionable, and attempt to tear down the walls of hatred that have kept them apart.
One Summer: America, 1927, by Bill Bryson
The summer of 1927 began with Charles Lindbergh crossing the Atlantic. Babe Ruth was closing in on the home run record. In Newark, New Jersey, Alvin “Shipwreck” Kelly sat atop a flagpole for 12 days, and in Chicago, the gangster Al Capone was tightening his grip on bootlegging. All this and much, much more transpired in the year Americans attempted and accomplished outsized things—and when the twentieth century truly became the American century.
Cold Comfort Farm, by Stella Gibbons
When sensible, sophisticated Flora Poste is orphaned at 19, she decides her only choice is to descend upon relatives in deepest Sussex. At the aptly-named Cold Comfort Farm, she meets the Starkadders: cousin Judith, heaving with remorse for unspoken wickedness; Amos, preaching fire and damnation; their sons, lustful Seth and despairing Reuben; child of nature Elfine; and crazed old Aunt Ada Doom, who has kept to her bedroom for the last 20 years.
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]]>The post State Library of Kansas announces 2023 Notable Books appeared first on Newton Public Library.
]]>Editor’s Note: All of these Kansas Notable Books are, or will soon be, available to borrow from Newton Public Library! Go to the online catalog to check availability, or contact us.
By Sam Bailey, Kansas Reflector
A serial killing family, a child trying to survive WWII-era Ukraine, the 50-year history of an acoustic music festival, a plot to save a family farm: These topics are among those featured in the 2023 Kansas Notable Books list, announced Tuesday by the State Library of Kansas.
The list features 15 books published in 2022 that are either written by Kansas authors or feature a topic related to Kansas, said Cindy Roupe, Notable Book Committee coordinator. Roupe said the final list was selected by a committee of about 10 authors, academics, librarians and other literary professionals who read about 40 books each in order to decide which ones were most notable from the past year.
Roupe described “notable” as any well-written book that people will read and walk away with new knowledge, whether that’s of a new author, topic or simply a new book they may not have read otherwise.
“It’s an award that we hope promotes literary heritage and cultural awareness of the literary landscape of Kansas,” Roupe said.
The annual list began in 2006.
Winfield’s Walnut Valley Festival, by Seth Bate, is one of the books featured on this year’s list. The book tells the 50-year history of the acoustic music festival held each year in Winfield, Kansas, through Bate’s research as well as “reflections” from people involved in this festival over its history, Bate said.
“I’m a Kansas historian and also a leadership practitioner and teacher who cares about Kansas,” Bate said. “And so Kansas is my favorite subject. I find Kansas fascinating every day, and so to be part of something that features Kansas as a topic, but also writers for Kansas, means a lot.”
Bate said he values different points of view in both his writing and reading.
“When we consider Kansas and the history of Kansas, reading is a way to inhabit lots of different points of view about our state,” Bate said. “And to do so in a way that isn’t hampered by the restrictions of a sound bite, so I hope that my book is a small example of that. And I think it’s incredibly important for people to keep reading, not just books, but keep reading written reflections of who we are.”
Bate and the other authors featured on the Kansas Notable Books list will be honored Sept. 16 at the Kansas Book Festival held at Washburn University. The event is free and open to the public, according to a State of Kansas news release.
As well as being awarded a medal, seven of the honored authors will give a presentation at the festival, including Kate Benz, Kathleen Wilford, Dennis Etzel Jr. and Jericho Hockett.
Roupe encouraged people to go to the festival and hear from the presenting authors about their writing and research process — and buy some books.
2023 Kansas Notable Books:
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]]>The post Get ready for Summer Reading 2023! appeared first on Newton Public Library.
]]>Newton Public Library’s 2023 Summer Reading Program officially kicks off June 1 and continues through the end of July. The library will present more than 100 youth, teen and adult programs this summer, including StoryTimes, performances, science programs, teen events, book clubs, lectures and talks.
Click here for the full run-down of everything we have planned!
This summer’s nationwide theme is “All Together Now,” and the focus is on community and kindness.
“We sat down as a staff to talk about how to personalize the theme and connect it with the Newton community,” said Sam Jack, adult services librarian. “One idea that emerged was to focus on murals. Over the last few years, many new murals have been created around town, and they express a lot of pride and unity.”
Mural artist Naomi Kuhn will work with children ages 5 to 9 to create a temporary mural in the library. Kids are invited to a mural design session, 9-11 a.m. on Thursday, June 1, to kick off the process. Participants will receive a free copy of “Maybe Something Beautiful,” by F. Isabel Ortiz, and will have the first opportunity to register for subsequent painting sessions, which will be held 1-3 p.m. on Thursdays, June 8 to July 20.
Kids are also invited to pick up a 5-by-7-inch canvas and complete a self-portrait for NPL’s “Tiny Portrait Gallery.” Kids can create portraits on their own, or attend a watercolor session with Susan Bartel (3-4 p.m. June 7, registration required) or a freeform session (3-4 p.m. June 24, no registration needed.)
Adult Summer Reading program includes a talk on Kansas murals by artist Dave Loewenstein, 7 p.m. June 5, with support from Humanities Kansas. Loewenstein is best known to Newtonians as the artist behind “The Imagineers,” a large mural located by the former Dillons on Main Street.
Finally, in partnership with Newton Murals & Arts Project, the library will present mural walking tours, starting at 7 p.m. on July 10 and 13. Both walks will set out from the library and will follow identical routes.
Here are some more highlights of summer 2023. Find a full run-down at www.newtonplks.org/SRP2023.
• Reading Challenges: Participants of all ages can sign up for Summer Reading Challenges and win prizes.
Youth SRP participants, ages birth through 9, can pick up reading challenge sheets and logs at the children’s desk. Everyone who completes their challenge sheets will earn a family pass to the end-of-summer pool party at the Newton Municipal Pool, 6-8 p.m. July 29.
Teen SRP participants, ages 10 to 18, can download the Reader Zone app to track their reading. Those who log 800 minutes of reading will score a ticket to the end-of-summer pool party, and those who go the extra mile and read 1,000 minutes will be invited to a pizza party at the library.
Adult SRP participants can pick up reading-log bookmarks at the library. Return a completed bookmark each week and be entered to win gift cards from local businesses. At the end of the summer, all participants will be entered in a grand prize drawing for a Kobo Nia eReader with built-in access to NPL’s e-book collection.
• Youth Guest Performers: This year’s lineup of free, all-ages guest performances includes Will Parker and the Make Believe Band, juggling and tricks with Flying Debris, wacky experiments with Mad Science, and family folk music with Doug and Jude Krehbiel.
• StoryTime and More: Summer StoryTimes start June 5, with weekly sessions for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. On Mondays from 7 to 7:45, the library will host family reading “picnics” on the library lawn, with themed books, crafts and activities to enjoy together.
For kids ages 6-9, Elementary Explorers combines art and science education, with weekly activities such as garbage sculptures, Rube Goldberg machines and salt dough fossils. These classes filled up last summer, so this year, the library has added a second section. Contact the library to sign up for sessions, Tuesdays at 9 or 11 a.m., June 6 through July 25.
• Teen Events: GameZone continues this summer. Youth ages 10-18 can head to the library for crafts, board games and video games, Mondays from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Teens can also sign up for hands-on painting and computer programming workshops, and participate in book clubs and free movie screenings.
• MIT and Stanford Spokes: Engineering students from MIT and Stanford are biking across the United States to offer science and math workshops, including workshops at the library. The dates are still being pinned down, but youth ages 10-18 are invited to contact the library and sign up if interested.
• Special Events: Special events for adult and teen audiences include a talk on Kansas mushrooms by Sherry Kay and Caleb Morse; “Flour Power: The History of the Tortilla,” a Humanities Kansas talk by Gene Chávez; the aforementioned mural events; photography presentations; movie screenings; book clubs; crafting events; and more.
Find more info at www.newtonplks.org/SRP2023. Visit the library, call 316-283-2890, or email library@newtonplks.org to register and sign up for email updates.
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]]>The post Newton Public Library takes part in The Big Read 2023 appeared first on Newton Public Library.
]]>In partnership with Wichita Public Library and other libraries in the greater Wichita area, Newton Public Library is inviting Newtonians to take part in the 2023 NEA Big Read. This year’s Big Read book selection is “Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?” by Roz Chast.
In her first memoir, the celebrated New Yorker cartoonist brings her signature wit to the topic of aging parents. Spanning the last several years of their lives and told through cartoons, family photos and humorous narrative, Chast’s memoir is both comfort and comic relief for anyone experiencing the life-altering loss of elderly parents.
Copies of the book are now available for borrowing at Newton Public Library. A community discussion will be held at NPL on Monday, April 3, at 7 p.m. The discussion will be led by Joanna Bjerum, LSCSW, a clinical therapist and counselor who practices locally.
The Big Read Kickoff Party will be held at the Advanced Learning Library in Wichita, 2 p.m. Sunday, March 12. Former KAKE News anchor Susan Peters will emcee, and the event will feature a ballet performance, reader’s theater, and an art talk by local cartoonist Richard Crowson. Attendees will receive a free copy of the book while supplies last.
Author Roz Chast will give a keynote speech at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 15, at the Wichita State University Hughes Metroplex, 5015 E. 29th St. N. She will share her work as a cartoonist and discuss her work as an author.
Dozens of other programs and events will take place from March 12 to April 30, including a mini film festival and a series of programs offered by the Central Area Agency on Aging. For a full list, go to www.bigreadwichita.org.
This is the 15th year of The Big Read, which is presented with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and Arts Midwest. The Big Read brings together schools, libraries, cultural organizations, businesses and book clubs to celebrate literacy and learning through a common book.
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