BIC: What advice or tips can you share with us about hosting a community reads program?
Monroe County One Book, One Community: I think the recipe for success is to find community funding for your program. When individual groups and organization make a financial commitment, they will become more involved and will then attend events and promote the events to others. The other secret is to choose an accessible book that invites conversation. Find a book that will stimulate a wide variety of readers from young adults to senior citizens. Consider choosing a companion read for younger audiences.
Monroe County One Book, One Community
BIC: What are some of your fondest or most notable memories from past events?
MC: The highlight of the past few years has undoubtedly been the author events. Our visiting authors have attracted large audiences, and they have all been gracious in meeting with students in a smaller setting which really provides great access for our aspiring writers.
In addition, one of this year’s highlights was the public response to the “Share Your Story” invitation put out to the public by our local newspaper. The paper received over 50 responses. Many were featured in front page articles and all of them were posted to the Monroe Evening News website. Our community reading project really invited active participation by our community of writers and it increased interest in reading our local paper. Really amazing!
To learn more about community reads or to arrange an event, contact Books In Common!
