About "One Book"

The "One Book, One Community" program is encouraging the East Lansing and Michigan State University community to read the same book over a six-week period this fall and to come together to discuss it in a variety of settings. Although dozens of similar programs have been sponsored nationwide, this is one of the very few that bring together a city and a university.

The 2004 program will take place from August 25-October 1. The book selection this year is James McBride's The Color of Water.

The first event will take place at the Albert A. White theatre at the East Lansing Hannah Community Center.  Information regarding the location of other events will be coming soon.

History of the "One Book, One Community" Program

An exploratory group including Wendy Wilkins (dean of MSU's College of Arts and Letters), Cliff Haka (director of MSU Libraries), Sylvia Marabate (director of the East Lansing Public Library), Judith Taran (communications director for the City of East Lansing) and Kristan Tetens (media relations project manager for MSU’s Division of University Relations) met in the fall of 2001 to discuss the idea of a community reading program and to determine whether it would gain broad university and city support. After determining that it would, the exploratory group began building partnerships with other university and city administrators, with university faculty, with students, with East Lansing High School teachers, and with the East Lansing business community. It also established a book selection committee.

The first "One Book, One Community" program took place October 7 - November 15, 2002 and featured Ray Bradbury's science fiction masterpiece Fahrenheit 451. In 2003 the selection was Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. 2003 was the first year incoming MSU freshman were asked to read this book before arriving on campus and encouraged to participate in community-wide events.

Book Selection Process

The book selection committee includes representatives from MSU and the City of East Lansing. Among the criteria that committee members use in making their selection are:

• a work by a major author;
• a reading level appropriate for high school and college students, as well as community residents;
• a strong plot and well-developed characters;
• a moral or humanistic vision;
• availability of the book in multiple formats (e.g., tape or CD);
• availability of book online;
• availability of film or play versions of the book;
• the cultural resonance of the book within American culture.

These selection criteria were adapted from those used by the Seattle Public Library, a pioneer in developing community reading programs

The committee is currently seeking public input on the book to be read in 2005; we invite you to suggest a title.

Goals

The East Lansing—Michigan State University “One Book, One Community” project is accomplishing three goals: 1) it serves as a public statement of our community’s commitment to humanistic values and the importance of creative and imaginative endeavor; 2) it connects people to the experience of literature and to each other; and 3) it promotes positive interaction between East Lansing High School students and adult residents of the community, and between MSU students and permanent residents of the community.

The program is creating opportunities for individuals to learn more about each other through the sharing of a common interest. Participation is entirely voluntary.