We are delighted to announce that JDL has been awarded a $20,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, Arts Midwest, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services to celebrate The Big Read in 2010. This will be the fourth successive year that Jackson County has received this grant. In 2009, Jackson was one of the 208 communities throughout the United States that participated in the Big read for 2009 grant period.
Big Read Committee members selected A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin as the featured title for 2010 from a list that included: Call of the Wild, Fahrenheit 451, Maltese Falcon, Out Town/Bridge Over San Luis Rey, and The Things The Carried. Published in 1968, A Wizard of Earthsea is the first book in a seies set in a fantasy world and portrays the adventures of Ged, a very powerful young wizard. Ms. Le Guin has won numerous awards for her works including the Nebula Award, Newberry Silver Medal Award, the National Book Award for children's books and the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award. Aside from science fiction and fantasy novels, Ms Le Guin writes poetry and prose as well as young children's books, books for young adults, screenplays, essays and more!
We wanted to provide a lighter read to the Jackson community and reach out to the younger segment of our population. We also wanted to emphasize that the goal of the NEA is to encourage reading fro pleasure and enlightenment among all groups, especially among the young. In doing so, we want to encourage participation by providing fun and interesting events for all ages.
Final plans and dates for events have yet to be solidified, but the basic outline is in place. The committee is already working toward providing a pleasurable experience for the community targeting the month of March 2010 for the grand event!
Please contact us with any suggestions that you might have, or if you would like to participate in the committee. We look forward to having you join us once again in this wonderful community-wide project to promote reading and literacy in Jackson County.
- Co-Chairs, The Big Read Committee for Jackson County
Donna Smith and Marcia Young