Shrewsbury – After two successful community-reading projects in past years, librarians at the Shrewsbury Public Library are excited about preparations for a third “Big Read” project next year. The Trustees of the Library have announced that the library has been awarded a $10,800 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for the project.
The Big Read is a national initiative, funded by the NEA and managed by Arts Midwest, designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The Shrewsbury Public Library is one of 78 organizations nationwide to receive a grant this year. Shrewsbury's third Big Read will focus on “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” by Mark Twain, America's famous humorist and writer. “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” is a literary classic that can be enjoyed by people of almost any age, and is considered a seminal work describing childhood in America.
Although activities will not begin until April 2013, planning is already underway. The Shrewsbury School Department, Council on Aging, Shrewsbury Media Connection, and the Parks and Recreation Department are teaming up with the library to help create a vibrant series for the community. A sampling of events planned so far include book discussions, movie screenings, children's events, a tour of Mark Twain House and Museum in Hartford, Connecticut, a ghosts-and-graveyards tour for teens in Boston, a picket fence decorating contest, an old-fashioned County Fair celebration for children, fishing lessons, and a performance by a Mark Twain historic interpreter.
Laurie Hogan is the chair of the Board of Library Trustees.
“We are so pleased to have received a third Big Read grant,” she said. “The past two projects were so well received by the town, and we look forward to involving people of all ages in this next project.”
To find out more about the national initiative, visit the Big Read website at www.neabigread.org. To get involved in the local project in any way, contact Library Director Ellen Dolan at [email protected] or by phone at 508-841-8537.
