October is ‘Gatsby’ month at 3 DuPage libraries

Bloomingdale librarian Julie Keating can count a list of all the reasons F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” is bringing people together.

First, the book is the focus of “On the Same Page,” a collaboration this month among the Bloomingdale, Itasca and Roselle libraries.

It is similar to the American Library Association’s “One Book, One Community” program, but aims to get residents engaged on a larger scale and explore library resources in neighboring towns.

“We thought if we pooled our resources, we would be able to present a better complement of programs,” Keating said.

All three libraries will sponsor a series of programs and discussions centered on the universal themes in the novel. The project began last week with a showing of the 1974 version of the film along with several other programs at each library.

This week’s events begin with an artist’s reception Sunday in Bloomingdale, where the Loose Threads Quilt Group and Bloomingdale Artists Association will present works inspired by the book. Immediately following, the library will present “Gibson Girls to Flappers,” a fashion show and tea.

Keating said “Gatsby” also seemed a natural choice because there is a re-emergence of the 1920s in pop culture. Next year, a film remake of “Gatsby,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, is set to open in theaters; PBS has launched its “Prohibition” series; and HBO has scored a hit in the past year with its prohibition-based “Boardwalk Empire.”

“I think people are really getting interested in the ‘20s again,” said Keating. “We have the economic crash now and we all experienced the fervor leading up to that.”

A scholar from the University of Illinois at Chicago will visit Bloomingdale Library Tuesday to elaborate on this idea further, with his talk “Why ‘Gatsby’ Still Matters.”

Keating said residents are responding well to the program and many are seeing the book in a much different light than during their high school years when the book was required reading.

“Sometimes even when you’ve read the book, when you read it at a different time in your life you have a completely different perspective,” she said.

For a full list of events, visit mybpl.org, itascalibrary.org or roselle.lib.il.us.