The idea for the Community Read is credited to Nancy Pearl of the Seattle Public Library. In 1998, Pearl created a program she called “If All of Seattle Read the Same Book.” The idea was to get everyone in the city reading the same book at the same time, as a way to foster a sense of community and discussion. Pearl’s idea was a huge success, and in the twelve years since, libraries all across the country have started their own version of the Community Read program. The projects have different names, for example: “Wayland Reads,” “One Book One Chicago,” or “One Book, One Island” (Nantucket, MA). There is also The Big Read, sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts (www.neabigread.org/) , which focuses on classic literature titles.
