The Vermont Arts Council is again participating in the project of the National Endowment of the Arts called The Big Read. The book chosen for 2009 is Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, a searing indictment of censorship. The Council will provide schools and libraries with ten copies of Fahrenheit 451 plus teacher’s guides, audio guides, and a supply of reader’s guides. (If you want to order more copies of the book, the Arts Council has a very affordable source.)

Each school or library can determine how to best use this opportunity and resources. Since the project spans January-May 2009, the book can be integrated into your programming anytime this winter.

For more information, or to sign up see: http://vermontartscouncil.org/Community/TheBigRead/tabid/702/Default.aspx

A tip: the email on the site for the contact person, Lindy Harty, has a period at the end which you have to remove to make the email work.

Theresa Faust adds that the Vermont Department of Libraries has Fahrenheit 451 in both large print and talking book formats!

Jessamyn West adds: “New Hampshire read this book last year. So anyone needing extra copies of the book can go ask a NH library. They made a little blog for the project http://bigreadnh.blogspot.com/”

Also Debra Edmands tell me that for either $5 or $10 plus shipping, a library may rent 15 copies of this book for a 2 month period from Talking About Books. See www.talkingaboutbooks.com for more info.

Grace Worcester Greene
Children’s Services Consultant
Vermont Department of Libraries
109 State Street
Montpelier, VT 05609
802-828-6954
Fax: 802-828-1481
grace.greene@mail.dol.state.vt.us