10 Years, 10,000 Readers, ‘One Book’

“One Book, One Community” turns 10 this year, and organizers at Cook Memorial, Indian Trails and Vernon Area public libraries are delighted at how the program has evolved, becoming a regular fixture in each library’s annual calendar of programming.

The “One Book” concept is simple yet profound: encourage thousands of neighbors to all read and discuss the same book. Additionally, the series provides opportunities for neighbors to consider and connect over the issues and themes in the story.

“‘One Book’ programs are a way to create a common cultural touch point,” Vernon Area Public Library spokesperson Catherine Savage said. “When a community all reads the same book and considers the situations in it, it builds empathy both for the characters in the story and each other.”

This year’s selection is “Hello Beautiful” by Ann Napolitano, named among the best books of the year by the Chicago Public Library, LibraryReads, The New York Times, NPR, Amazon, and others, and selected by Oprah Winfrey as the 100th pick for her book club. This exquisite homage to Louisa May Alcott’s timeless classic “Little Women” is a profoundly moving portrait of what is possible when we choose to love someone not in spite of who they are, but because of it.

The series launches each December when Cook Memorial, Indian Trails, and Vernon Area public libraries each inject hundreds of copies of the selected book into their community through giveaways and checkouts. Over the following weeks, each library presents public programs that complement the themes, characters or settings featured in the book. Programs typically include book discussions, film screenings, art exhibits, lectures, and performances. This year, participants attended art workshops, learned about men’s mental health and sports injuries, wrote their life lessons and legacies, and contributed to a Tiny Portrait Art Show. All programs are free and available to all area residents, regardless of home library affiliation.

The series culminates with an author presentation and book signing with novelist Ann Napolitano at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 1, in Adlai E. Stevenson High School’s West Auditorium and online on Zoom. Signup is open for this free event and other “One Book” programs at 1book.org.

The “One Book, One Community” series, which began in 2015, was born out of a shared desire to connect area readers through a shared reading experience. However, the cost of hosting popular authors was often prohibitive. This challenge led to the creation of the “One Book, One Community” program.

“I reached out to our neighboring library districts, Indian Trails and Cook Memorial, to inquire if they would be interested in partnering with us and splitting the cost,” said Roz Topolski, Community Engagement Program Coordinator at Vernon Area, who initially envisioned the program. “They were immediately excited about the idea, and it’s been a fantastic partnership.”

Over the last decade, “One Book, One Community” has remained true to its goals of having a shared reading experience within the community, encouraging conversation, and reflecting on how the books might help us better understand ourselves and others. Since its inception, the program has drawn 10,168 attendees.

The program is funded in part by the Foundation for the Vernon Area Public Library District, the Friends of the Cook Memorial Public Library, and the Foundation for the Indian Trails Public Library District.

The collaborative effort was recognized in 2019 by the Illinois Library Association for excellence in interlibrary resource sharing. The ILA noted the program “exemplifies a unified front for libraries working together, particularly in a mobile suburban area that shares geographic borders and can maximize taxpayer resources.”

Past selections included “The Violin Conspiracy” by Brendan Slocumb, “The Bohemians” by Jasmin Darznik, “This Is How It Always Is” by Laurie Frankel, “Red at the Bone” by Jacqueline Woodson, “Circe” by Madeline Miller, “The Story Hour” by Thrity Umrigar, “Stolen Beauty” by Laurie Lico Albanese, and “Love and Other Consolation Prizes” by Jamie Ford.

Find details, program signup, and related resources at 1book.org.