Each spring, the public library launches its annual “One Book One Community" initiative with one goal in mind: to invite readers of all walks of life to engage with the same book, encouraging a shared experience and spurring dialogue to ultimately strengthen our community. The citywide reading initiative, sponsored by the East Baton Rouge Parish Library, is the biggest book club in the Capital Region, and featues free programming for library patrons beginning in February and running through May 15.
This year’s read, 2019 National Book Award-winner The Yellow House by New Orleans native Sarah M. Broom, has inspired a slate of programming for both children and adults that celebrates family, freedom, and the culture of home. From book discussions, to virtual panels and lectures, to socially distanced creative workshops and more, all accompanying events are designed to be relevant to the selected title’s literary themes, drawing motifs off the page and into the real world while highlighting lots of lesser-known library services along the way.
Though this year’s OBOC will look a bit different than previous years in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, don't worry; the library has adapted to social distancing guidelines and is offering virtual events, "grab-and-geaux" craft bags, and lots more.
In lieu of a kickoff party, the Main Library will host an in-person author talk with Broom and The Revisioners author Margaret Wilkerson Sexton on May 15. While reading can often be a solitary activity, this discussion certainly doesn’t have to be. Find a complete list of parish-wide virtual and in-person events at ebrpl.com or readonebook.org.
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