Big Read Corporate Edition
The Kansas City Public Library continues its innovative Big Read Corporate Edition, an outreach program that brings trained book discussion leaders into your workplace to facilitate Big Read conversations amongst employees during the lunch hour or after work. The Corporate Edition is a proven morale builder that brings together employees from a wide variety of responsibilities for a short discussion that puts aside the latest business project and fosters personal interaction.
Any area business interested in joining the Big Read Corporate Edition should contact Kaite Stover at 816.701.3683 or via email at kaitestover@kclibrary.org, or Henry Fortunato at 816.701.3514 or via email at henryfortunato@kclibrary.org.
Big Read Corporate Edition FAQ
What is the Big Read?
What is the Big Read in Kansas City?
What is the Big Read, Corporate Edition?
How does it work?
What does it cost to participate?
Where can participants get a copy of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer?
What can participants expect from the book discussion session?
Why should we do this?
What is the Big Read?
The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The big idea behind the Big Read is that everyone in the same community reads the same book at the same time, inspiring a broad-based conversation about a seminal piece of American literature.
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What is the Big Read in Kansas City?
During September-October 2011, the Kansas City Public Library and Kansas City Ballet are leading a citywide celebration of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. This Big Read in Kansas City takes its inspiration from Kansas City Ballet’s upcoming world premiere production of Tom Sawyer – A Ballet in Three Acts at the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. As such, it seems a perfect time to encourage Kansas Citians to read or re-read the classic novel by Missouri’s greatest writer. The Big Read also features a variety of free public events and activities at the Library aimed at inspiring a communitywide conversation, face to face and online. Learn more at www.kcbigread.org.
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What is the Big Read, Corporate Edition?
The Big Read, Corporate Edition is a Kansas City Public Library outreach program that enables businesses and organizations to “check out a librarian” for an on-site book discussion group with your fellow employees. Sessions generally last about an hour, and are held at your work place at a time convenient to you. The Big Read, Corporate Edition brings together employees from a wide variety of responsibilities for a short discussion that puts aside the latest business project and fosters personal interaction on a work of literature.
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How does it work?
Joining the Big Read, Corporate Edition is easy. Each participating organization selects a point-person who is responsible for recruiting 8-12 fellow employees who want to read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. The point-person also schedules a time for the book discussion to take place between early September and the end of October. Participating employees must read the book and be prepared to talk about it at the discussion session. To schedule a session with a librarian, contact Kaite Stover, Readers’ Services manager at the Kansas City Public Library: 816.701.3683, kaitestover@kclibrary.org.
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What does it cost to participate?
This is a free service from the Library. Some organizations offer breakfast, lunch, or after-work libations to Big Read, Corporate Edition participants, but this is entirely at your discretion.
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Where can participants get a copy of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer?
The Kansas City Public Library has purchased 500 copies of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. There are also large print and audio versions, plus two dozen copies in Spanish. All of these are available for check-out at any Kansas City Public Library location. Or, you can download an e-book copy from the Library’s public domain collection. Learn more at www.kcbigread.org. There are also 3,000 Reader’s Guides prepared by the National Endowment for the Arts available for free at all Library locations.
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What can participants expect from the book discussion session?
Your librarian will come with a variety of discussion topics intended to foster a lively conversation. He or she will also provide biographical information on Mark Twain, and some background about The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Participants should come prepared to discuss general themes raised by the novel, as well as favorite scenes and passages, plus any childhood memories they recall about this book. It’s also likely the conversation will consider the differences and similarities between The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, as well as Twain’s feelings about both of these masterpieces.
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Why should we do this?
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is not merely an iconic American novel. Its scenes and story lines are now ingrained in the national psyche. Two fictional boys – Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn – not angels, but funny, and clever, are best friends. Both have either non-traditional or challenging home life relationships. They cut school, flirt with girls, have adventures, run away from home, and make believe they’re pirates. Tom and Becky Thatcher even get lost in a cave. Meanwhile, for a short while Tom is thought to be dead and gets to spy on his own mourners and hear what they’re saying about him – so what’s not to like? And given that Tom Sawyer is going to be the talk of the town this fall, what better time to re-engage with one of Mark Twain’s masterpieces?
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