Author Ibram X. Kendi鈥檚 鈥淗ow To Be An Antiracist鈥� was a pretty obvious choice for this year鈥檚 One Book Steamboat selection, said Jennie Lay, adult programs coordinator at Steamboat鈥檚 Bud Werner Memorial Library. One look at the library鈥檚 checkout list and it was clear that racism, and particularly antiracism, was a big topic on peoples鈥� minds.
鈥淭his was clearly the book for the year,鈥� Lay said.
The annual community reading program is designed to give the community not just a book, but a subject that people can dive into a little deeper, she said.
鈥淔or us, it鈥檚 not just a book,鈥� Lay said. 鈥淥ne Book Steamboat has always been about the ability to read the book, talk about it, hear from academics, see documentaries, analyze it and take the whole package deal 鈥� We didn鈥檛 design our community read to be (an) escape. We designed it to be immersion and enrichment and engagement. I mean, it鈥檚 a 鈥榗ommunity read;鈥� we should do it together.鈥�
Selecting Kendi also gave the library the opportunity to make One Book Steamboat actually more like 鈥淭hree Books Steamboat.鈥� The event allows readers of all ages to take part, choosing one of three of Kendi鈥檚 works: 鈥淗ow To Be An Antiracist鈥� for adults, 鈥淪tamped: Racism, Antiracism and You鈥� for young adults, and for toddlers reading with their caregivers, the illustrated board book 鈥淎ntiracist Baby.鈥�
Being able to do a multi-generational event this year made the event extra special, said Michelle Dover, the library鈥檚 circulation services manager.
鈥淏eing intergenerational is what we need,鈥� Dover said. 鈥淎nd in a time of COVID, when people are around more, you can imagine people being able to read these books as a family, and model to their children that 鈥榯his is how we have hard conversations.鈥欌��
Previous One Book Steamboat selections have looked at issues of identity (鈥淚nheritance鈥�), poverty (鈥淭he Grapes of Wrath鈥�) and the human casualties of the Vietnam War (鈥淭he Things They Carried鈥�).
In many cases, the books have brought out unique conversations and interactions between groups that might not otherwise have occurred, Lay said.
鈥淲hen we did 鈥楾he Things They Carried,鈥� we had Vietnam vets in our community who had not connected before who were suddenly in the library kitchen sharing recipes that they had learned when they were in combat,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd they were pulling these recipes out and sharing them over a book.鈥�
While 鈥淗ow To Be An Antiracist鈥� might seem a controversial choice for a community read, Dover said they knew the Steamboat community would be receptive to this book and these conversations.
鈥淚 think they want the reality. They want to pull back the screen and see what America is really like, what is going on,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ecause we get so stuck in our own worlds. You drive down the same road, past the same institutions and gas stations everyday, and you need that stop-and-reflect time. I think that鈥檚 what COVID has given us.鈥�
While the pandemic has made physically gathering to talk about the book difficult, the library offers virtual meetups and events. They are also facilitating learning pods where smaller groups can discuss the book together.
鈥淭his is different this year,鈥� Lay said. 鈥淧eople have to gather in different ways to have these conversations, and everybody has a different way that they鈥檙e comfortable with it. Whether they want to stay with just their family, whether they want to do it (on) Zoom. Whether they want to do it on a back porch, a backyard, on hikes. Everybody鈥檚 got to find their comfort level.鈥�
are currently ongoing through Sept. 14, 2020.
