The Big Read features American classic

Randall Sweeney, executive director of the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, teams up with Tina Scott, assistant librarian for Chautauqua Cattaraugus Library System, and Reed Library Director Randy Gadikian, to promote the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus "Big Read" of Harper Lee's classic novel, "To Kill A Mockingbird."

SUNY Fredonia is one of 208 organizations nationwide selected to receive a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to host The Big Read in Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties.

This is the second consecutive year that the university has received the NEA grant to host the reading program, which will be conducted in cooperation with the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Library System.

The Big Read gives communities the opportunity to come together to read, discuss, and celebrate one of 23 selections from American and world literature. The Big Read in Chautauqua/Cattaraugus will focus on Harper Lee’s novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird ,” which combines two stories, small town southern lawyer Atticus Finch’s defense of an unjustly accused man, and the lawyer’s own daughter’s growing self-awareness. It was described as “the rare American novel that can be discovered with excitement in adolescence and reread into adulthood without fear of disappointment.”

The Big Read grants, which included $20,000 to SUNY Fredonia, are awarded to promote and carry out community-based reading programs featuring activities such as read-a-thons, book discussions, lectures, movie screenings and performing arts events. Participating communities also receive high-quality, free-of-charge educational materials to supplement the book selected. Last year, the area’s Big Read effort focused on Ray Bradbury’s “Fahrenheit 451,” with copies of the novel distributed to 38 libraries and 24 school districts. Events included screenings of the movie based on the novel, a re-enactment of one of the most important events in the novel, Guy’s Montag’s trial, and fun events including food tastings based on the “heat” theme.

Activities for this year’s Big Read will be planned throughout the counties for February and March of 2009. One of the activities will focus on Chautauqua County’s own Robert H. Jackson, who was the Chief U.S. Prosecutor for the Nuremberg Trials and a United States Supreme Court Associate Justice. Gail Jarrow has recently written a biography of Justice Jackson aimed at a young audience titled, “Robert H. Jackson: New Deal Lawyer, Supreme Court Justice, Nuremberg Prosecutor,” which will be distributed to area schools. In addition, SUNY Fredonia faculty member Dr. Cindy Bird of the College of Education has written student guides which will also be distributed with Ms. Jarrow’s book.

“We are so pleased to be able to bring The Big Read back to the region again,” noted Daniel A. Reed Library Director Randy Gadikian, who will serve as chairman of the local Big Read effort.

The latest Big Read grantees represent 46 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. To date, the NEA has given more than 500 grants to support local Big Read Projects.

“Everything the NEA does we do in partnership. I am delighted to announce our 208 new partners in The Big Read. Some are new to the program, some are returning, but all of them have answered the call to action to get our country reading again,” said NEA Chairman Dana Gioia.

“With this latest round of grants, I am proud to say that The Big Read has supported more than 500 public library partnerships,” said Anne-Imelda M. Radice, director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the NEA’s lead federal partner for The Big Read. “Through this program, public libraries continue to demonstrate their value in communities as centers of engagement, literacy, and lifelong learning. I am particularly delighted by the innovative public programming born out of library and museum collaborations.”

The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest. Support for The Big Read is provided by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Transportation for The Big Read is provided by Ford.