Sources of Inspiration

So most of you have heard me prattle on about the Big Read grant MCLS was awarded for Fahrenheit 451. Our series of events will begin on Sunday April 13 and go through May 31, 2008.

Yesterday, I held an informational meeting for MCLS staff who were interested in learning more about the project. I provided lots and lots of information, but my *real* purpose in scheduling that meeting went unsatisfied. I was hoping for people who I could railroad into serving on the planning team for the BR. I got one. He’s a good’un, but yet, he’s still only one man.

So, now I need your help. Right now, my planning team consists of me, Bill Pontius from the RPL Friends, and my Communications staff — Kathy Martel, Deb Nevin and Inge Munnings. Can you suggest other folks out there in MCLSland who might be willing to help plan some programs & events?

I won’t lie. It’s going to be a time-sucker. The team is going to start meeting weekly in December, although some of those meetings will be done by IM. Send me your suggestions so I can sart arm-twisting.

 Also, we did a little brainstorming of program ideas yesterday and came up with the ones below. Can you think of any others?

 Patty

a.      Group 1 Ideas

                                                              i.      Internal displays of banned books

                                                             ii.      Hold a mock trial where books are on trial – could be part of a book discussion – suggestion was made to have a person dressed as a fireman standing by a barrel where people toss in a book when they enter the room. The books tossed in are the ones that go on trial.

                                                           iii.      Visits to Sr. Centers, Assisted Living facilities, etc.

                                                          iv.      Use gimmicks and giveaways like atomic fireballs and fireman’s hats.

                                                            v.      Tie in to National Library Week.

                                                          vi.      Storytime themes for younger children could include fire, freedom of opinion, freedom of choice.

                                                         vii.      Target YA book discussion groups.

                                                       viii.      Movie tie-in – “If you like the movie, read the book.”

                                                           ix.      Use police tape and cordon off a section of the stacks and say “What would you do if someone told you that you couldn’t read these books?”

b.      Group 2 Ideas

                                                              i.      Film program – show documentaries about book burning and censorship and how it affects culture.

                                                             ii.      Contest of films made by teens and judged by professionals.

                                                           iii.      Acting out scenes from banned books.

                                                          iv.      Create a blog – librarian blogs like a character in the book about war, censorship, political correctness, etc.

                                                            v.      Tie in with oral history – importance of telling and preserving stories.

                                                          vi.      Books as culture vs. online resources as culture – nature of the book is changing. What if the Internet disappeared? Government vs. grassroots movement.

c.      Group 3 Ideas

                                                              i.      Use storytellers to enhance the importance of preserving and telling stories. See David Anderson or the Genesee Valley Storytellers.

                                                             ii.      Teen Slam

                                                           iii.      Essay contest – What Books Would You Save?”

                                                          iv.      Link Exhibit on banned books or artists, possible display from Long Island Coalition Against Censorship or NY Chapter of Censorship.

                                                            v.      Books-Sandwiched-In type programs.

                                                          vi.      Bring in Mary Soujourner (winner of 1^st Sokol Literary Award and an accomplished writer) to speak.

                                                         vii.      Establish some programs with Empire State and MCC.

                                                       viii.      Show movies of books that have been banned.

                                                           ix.      Hold a “Fireman BBQ” – have a fire truck here, simulate a café house.

                                                            x.      Advertise at the Chili Fest in February

d.      Other programming ideas

                                                              i.      Work with local schools on an altered book art show – we provide the used books, art students or artists alter them, then the finished pieces go on display at Central, with some traveling to other MCLS libraries. This could be part of our kick-off event on April 13.

                                                             ii.      Bring in authors who have had their books banned to speak as part of a panel on banned books.

                                                           iii.      Take book discussions out of the library to places like City Hall, coffee shops, prisons, and senior facilities.

                                                          iv.      Bring in speakers who have expertise in the themes of censorship or banned books, government interference in civil right, control of information, etc. NY Council for the Humanities Speakers Bureau would be a good source.

                                                            v.      Have fire fighters in to talk about their experiences, to tell their stories.

                                                          vi.      Find a speaker who has lived in a country where freedom of speech and freedom of thought has been repressed.

                                                         vii.      Hold a “summit” at the Central Library for high school students to discuss the issues of reading and literacy, or to discuss the theme of government sanctioned speech.

                                                       viii.      Invite members of the Mayor’s Literacy Commission to share the work they’ve done in the last 18 months during a program at Central or a Branch.

                                                           ix.      Offer a program on book-making – use Writers and Books or Visual Studies Workshop.

                                                            x.      Offer a program on preserving stories – scrapbooks, journals, diaries, etc.

                                                           xi.      Offer a program on publishing in the digital age. Bring in local authors who publish their own books and have them talk about their experiences.