News Release

September 28, 2007

Contacts
Leslye Asera, Community Relations Manager (925) 671-3272
lasera@ci.concord.ca.us

Concord’s BIG READ features book discussion series

Participants in Concord’s BIG READ program can look forward to a series of book discussion groups during the month of October. The BIG READ program encourages the entire community to read and discuss a single book, Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury.

Book discussion sessions are scheduled for

  • Oct. 4 and 11 from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Concord Library (2900 Salvio St.)
  • Oct. 10, 17 and 24 from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Concord Senior Center (2727 Parkside Circle)
  • Oct. 16 from 7 to 8 p.m. at Berkshire Books (3480 Clayton Rd.)
  • Oct. 29 from 7 to 8 p.m. at Bay Books (1699 Willow Pass Rd. in the Park N Shop Center)

Fahrenheit 451 is Ray Bradbury's 1953 cautionary science fiction tale of a bleak totalitarian future. Firemen don't put out fires, but start them, in order to burn all the books in this society where trivial information is prized while knowledge and ideas are suppressed.

“The Concord BIG READ was created to address the decline in literary reading as documented in the National Endowment for the Art’s 2004 landmark survey that showed less than half of adult Americans read literature,” explained Concord Librarian Maureen Kilmurray.

The BIG READ is funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and Arts Midwest. The Concord Library is one of just 117 organizations nationwide to receive grants supporting the BIG READ.

The Concord Library has joined with the City of Concord, Concord Diablo Rotary, Contra Costa County Supervisor Susan Bonilla’s office, Friends of the Concord Library, Concord Literacy Coalition, and local media and corporate sponsors including Astound Broadband, Contra Costa Times, KKDV-FM, Concord Hilton, JFK University, PGE, and Sam’s Club to present the month-long schedule of activities.

For a complete listing of Concord BIG READ events scheduled throughout the month of October visit www.ccclib.org/programs/conc.html#bigread

For more information, contact Maureen Kilmurray, Concord Librarian, (925) 646-5455 ext. 11; mkilmurr@ccclib.org