Come be a Part of a Literary Revolution in Laredo!
Written by Post Public Information Representative, Jul 30, 2009, 0 Comments
Once again, the Laredo Public Library is teaming up with Food for Thought, a local non-profit organization dedicated to fighting hunger in our community, to launch One City, One Book, a city-wide book club. Through this program, the Laredo Public Library wants to spread the joy of reading, while Food for Thought aims to feed the body by fueling the mind.
“We have two goals for One City, One Book,” says Maria G. Soliz, acting director for the Laredo Public Library. “One is, of course, to promote literacy, and two is, we hope that this will build a sense of community as we read the same book. This initiative will open dialogue among families, friends, co-workers and even strangers. What better way than to talk about a book!” added Soliz.
According to the American Library Association website, librarians have always known that books and reading connect people across time and place. Last year, several thousand Laredoans of all ages, races and religions read the featured tome, “All But My Life,” attended book discussions and documentaries, were part of the lecture with Gerda Weissmann Klein, and most importantly, shared their reaction, thoughts and feelings from reading such a powerful book.
Everyone in the community is invited to stop by the Laredo Public Library to pick up a copy of the selected book, or to purchase one at B. Dalton Book Sellers at Mall Del Norte. There will be book discussions and other related activities; the initiative will culminate with the author’s lecture in late September.
“This story will give all who read the book a more human element to an issue the country is grappling with today, and that we on the border have a very unique perspective about,” said Annie Treviño, local honors English teacher at Alexander High School, and key coordinator for One City, One Book and Food for Thought.