Help Choose America’s Favorite Novel

Sedona Public Library has received a grant from the American Library Association (ALA) and PBS to host programs around “The Great American Read,” an eight-part television series and multi-platform initiative that celebrates the joy of reading and the books we love.
 
More than 220 public libraries applied for the $2,000 grants, which will support public programs around the series. Sedona Public Library was one of just 50 libraries nationwide to be selected.
 
In addition to the grant money, the Library will receive a DVD collection of the series with public performance rights; a hardcover copy of the companion book, “The Great American Read: The Book of Books” by PBS (Black Dog & Leventhal, August 21, 2018); and other resources.
 
The selected libraries will also have the opportunity to host “sneak peek” screenings of five episodes before they broadcast to the public. The series will engage audiences with a list of 100 diverse books, encouraging audiences to read the books, vote from the list of 100, and share their personal connections to the titles.
 
The two-hour launch episode premiered May 22 and kicks off a summer of reading and voting. In fall 2018, seven new episodes will air, featuring appearances by celebrities, athletes, experts, authors and everyday Americans advocating for their favorite book, culminating with a finale that reveals America’s best-loved novel as chosen by the American public.
 
Sedona Public Library looks forward to participating in a national conversation about reading and books, including those featured in the series that highlight themes of love, heroes, villains, other worlds, and self-discovery. Join us as we investigate how and why writers create their fictional worlds, how we as readers are affected by these stories, and what these 100 different books have to say about our diverse nation and our shared human experience. Check our events calendar on the Library’s website for upcoming programs.
 
Watch the launch special, view the list of top 100 books highlighted in the series, and vote for your favorite by visiting the PBS website at: http://www.pbs.org/the-great-american-read/home/.  You can visit the website on your own computer or come to the Library to view the premier episode on one of our computers. While you’re at the Library, take a look at the list of books and choose one to read!
 
On the PBS website you’ll also find a wonderful RESOURCES section. Take the reading scorecard quiz or visit the Learning Media section for information about the authors and the impact these books have had on specific readers and throughout history.
 
Sedona Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, partially supported by the City of Sedona and Yavapai and Coconino Counties. We also require donations and grants to fund our operations. Your tax-deductible donation may be made online through our website or sent to:  Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Road, Sedona, AZ 86336.

Sedona Public Library
Column for June 8, 2018
Written by Virginia Volkman, Library Director