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Gayla Brewer
Lots of young people turn to video games, MySpace and reality TV to relax during their down time, but library staff and teachers are encouraging them to pick up a book instead.
The Cherokee Regional Library system, which operates branches in Walker and Dade counties, snagged an $8,000 matching grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to fund the “The Big Read” initiative.
“The Big Read,” a communitywide reading initiative, is designed to restore reading habits among Americans.
Northwest Georgia residents will be introduced to the program via Harper Lee’s classic, “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Events, such as book discussions, are scheduled to involve a community of readers in examining the book’s themes, characters and story.
“We will try to cover the book in a way that is enjoyable,” said Karen Appelbaum, general education instructor at Northwestern Technical College.
Ms. Appelbaum and her colleague Wendy Grisham will lead discussions about the novel to reignite interest in reading for pleasure.
“We definitely recognize that literacy is a huge lack in the community,” Ms. Grisham said.
A study published in 2007 by the National Endowment for the Arts found that an increasing number of Americans — especially young Americans — were less likely to read for fun, resulting in a decline in reading test scores, according to the New York Times. The study found that fewer than half of Americans 18 and older read novels, short stories, plays or poems.
Officials said they think “The Big Read” will encourage more reading, because discussing a book as part of a group is more fun. Other entertaining events are planned and aim to attract attention to the novel .
“If we can encourage them through performance, art classes or film screenings, that is another way to spark interest,” Gayla Brewer, community development librarian with the Cherokee Regional Library system, said.
“To Kill a Mockingbird,” tells the story of a tomboy named Scout, who lives with her brother, father and black housekeeper in Alabama in the 1930s. The Pulitzer Prize-winning novel describes a small Southern town divided by race. The story is told through Scout’s perspective as she struggles to understand the tension created during the tumultuous time period.
“We know with this book the themes are tolerance and justice,” she said.
Ms. Brewer said she hopes “The Big Read” initiative will continue to encourage residents to become involved in their community or start their own book clubs.
