Chicago, IL (March 10, 2009) – Despite the economic hard times, The Columbia College Chicago Library wants to encourage Chicagoans to remember the importance of things that add meaning and depth to our lives: arts, culture, literature, and the joy of reading.
Recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Big Read grant, The Library will present community and public programming this spring on Fahrenheit 451, the classic work by Illinois native Ray Bradbury.
The cautionary dystopian tale looks at a world where books are not allowed and rather than putting out fires, firemen raid secret caches of books, burning them and making public examples of individuals who would dare to read – or think independently.
“The themes of book burning, censorship, and the threat to critical thought and inquiry are issues which resonate more than 50 years after the book’s original publication,” says Library Director Jan Chindlund. “In our community-based book discussion groups as well as our public programming we will be taking a serious look at these issues. We will also have some fun with the characters and ideas that Bradbury birthed.”
The Big Read kicks off on April 2, with speakers, and a film screening featuring a documentary on Ray Bradbury and his life, followed by a reception with Fahrenheit 451-themed food and drink.
In addition to free public events on the Columbia campus, The Big Read will include book discussion groups in Chicago and suburban area public libraries and bookstores, as well as student-focused activities with in the Berwyn and Cicero districts and the Chicago Public Schools.
The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.
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