CHICAGO – The Libraries Transform Book Pick will return Sept. 14-28, 2020 with its second ebook selection: Lauren Francis-Sharma’s “Book of the Little Axe,” published by Atlantic Monthly Press, an imprint of Grove Atlantic. During the lending period, ebook copies of “Book of the Little Axe” will be available without waitlists or holds through U.S. public libraries using OverDrive. Readers will only need a library card and the Libby app to borrow and read the ebook.
A collaboration between the American Library Association (ALA) and OverDrive, the Libraries Transform Book Pick is a digital reading program that connects book lovers across the country with simultaneous access to an ebook to foster conversation across communities. Free marketing resources like social media graphics and a template press release will be available later this summer to help libraries promote the program and encourage check outs. A discussion guide and other materials to inspire discussion about the book will also be available.
Ambitious and masterfully wrought, “Book of the Little Axe” is an incredible journey, spanning decades and oceans from Trinidad to the American West during the tumultuous days of warring colonial powers and westward expansion. In a starred review, Booklist said Francis-Sharma “offers fascinating characters across the broad sweep of the American continent at a time of great tumult, warring colonial powers, the spread of slavery, and expansion West” and described the story as a “compelling saga of family bonds, ambitions, and desires, all subject to the vagaries of powerful historical forces.”
Programs like the Libraries Transform Book Pick help showcase how libraries are continuing to serve their communities during challenging times by providing digital content and virtual services people need now more than ever. Over the last few months, libraries have expanded their access to electronic content such as ebooks and found innovative ways to continue their programming virtually by offering online storytimes, homework help and DIY classes.
The Book Pick’s reading period, Sept. 14-28, coincides with Library Card Sign-up Month, which is held each September to remind the public that a library card provides access to technology, media resources and educational programs to help students succeed in school and offers people of all ages opportunities to pursue their dreams and passions. Through the Book Pick, a library card helps bring the community together to discover and celebrate transformative stories.
The selection of “Book of the Little Axe” for the Libraries Transform Book Pick was made in consultation with experts at Booklist. Atlantic Monthly Press is providing this title to public libraries for simultaneous use for two weeks at no cost.
The Libraries Transform Book Pick program launched last fall with its inaugural selection “After the Flood” by Kassandra Montag, published by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
For more information about the Libraries Transform Book Pick, please visit ilovelibraries.org/libraries-transform-book-pick. You can also follow the Libraries Transform Book Pick on ALA’s Facebook and Twitter and join the discussion on social media using the hashtag #LTBookPick.
The Libraries Transform Book Pick is a collaboration between Booklist, the book review magazine of the American Library Association; Libraries Transform, the American Library Association’s public awareness initiative; and OverDrive, ALA Library Champion and lead sponsor of Libraries Transform.
About OverDrive
OverDrive is the leading digital reading platform for libraries and schools worldwide. We strive to create “a world enlightened by reading” by delivering the industry’s largest catalog of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines and other digital media to a growing network of 48,000 libraries and schools in 78 countries. Our popular reading apps provide best-in-class user experience and tools for staff management: the Libby app for libraries is one of PCMag’s Best Free Software of 2019 and Popular Mechanics’ 20 Best Apps of the 2010s, while the student reading app Sora is one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2019. Founded in 1986, OverDrive is based in Cleveland, Ohio USA and was named a Certified B Corp in 2017. OverDrive is owned by KKR, a leading global investment firm. www.overdrive.com
About the American Library Association
The American Library Association is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more than 140 years, the ALA has been the trusted voice for academic, public, school, government and special libraries, advocating for the profession and the library’s role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit ala.org.
Originally published at https://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2020/06/libraries-transform-book-pick-digital-reading-program-returns-sept-14-28-epic
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