Rotary Recap 9.17.2014

 
Your Louisburg Librarians visited the Rotary Club to discuss and present the selection for One Book, One Burg: Louisburg Reads 2014. This year's title is The Giver by Lois Lowry. It is an award-winner in both Young Adult and Children's categories and was made into a movie that released this summer, starring Jeff Bridges and Meryl Streep. In fact, the Midway Drive-In (between Paola & Osawatomie) has committed to opening their facility for a one-night only showing of the film on Saturday, October 18 - it will be FREE to the public.
 
 
 
So, what's it about? The Giver is written from the point of view of Jonas, an eleven-year-old boy living in a futuristic society that has eliminated all pain, fear, war, and hatred. There is no prejudice, since everyone looks and acts basically the same, and there is very little competition. Everyone is unfailingly polite. The society has also eliminated choice: at age twelve every member of the community is assigned a job based on his or her abilities and interests. 
 
Citizens can apply for and be assigned compatible spouses, and each couple is assigned exactly two children each. The children are born to Birthmothers, who never see them, and spend their first year in a Nurturing Center with other babies, or “newchildren,” born that year. When their children are grown, family units dissolve and adults live together with Childless Adults until they are too old to function in the society. Then they spend their last years being cared for in the House of the Old until they are finally “released” from the society.
 
In the community, release is death, but it is never described that way; most people think that after release, flawed newchildren and joyful elderly people are welcomed into the vast expanse of Elsewhere that surrounds the communities. Citizens who break rules or fail to adapt properly to the society’s codes of behavior are also released, though in their cases it is an occasion of great shame. Everything is planned and organized so that life is as convenient and pleasant as possible.
 
Find out more about the book in an article and interview with the author, published in the NYTimes. Heck, you might as well just read the book. And the best part is...you can get your copy at the library, at no additional cost. We hope that you will read it, pass it along to someone else, and participate in our events and programs during October - One Book, One Burg: Louisburg Reads month.
 
One of the most anticipated annual events is the Intergenerational Book Discussion. Every year we partner with Louisburg High School. Classes of students read the 1B1B selection and members of the community join them for lunch in the LHS library to chat about the book - exchanging ideas, opinions, values and, most importantly, time. The Giver is about memories...preserving them, needing them, learning from them and sharing them. How better can you do that than sharing with people of other generations?
 
The 1B1B book selection committee looks at a variety of factors when choosing a book for the community read project: is it appropriate for a variety of ages; will it motivate dialogue and action; is it critically acclaimed; is the topic of interest to our library district patrons; are there programming opportunities that can involve businesses and organizations throughout the library district; is it published in a variety of formats; is it affordable for bulk purchase?
 
In Other News:
  • Johnny Ford and Bill Kiesling from the Spring Hill Rotary Club invited us to their Annual Golf Tournament & Fundraiser on Saturday, September 27. Like us, their golf tournament is the club's primary source of funding.
  • Robert Thompson from the Gardner Rotary Club visited after he and Collyn met with the Louisburg High School administration about the Rotary Student Exchange program.
  • The Louisburg Chamber of Commerce Blazin' the Burg is Saturday. The Fun Run starts at 5pm and the 5K will begin at 6pm. There will be plenty to do at the Blazin' Bah from 4-8 on Broadway.
  • The Firt National Bank hred Event will be from 9-noon on aturday, a well. There i a 3-box limit.
  • Damon announced that Halloween on Broadway will be on atruday, October 25th from 5-7pm
  • Collyn confirmed that E-Recycling will take place on the firt atruday in April 2015.
It appear that the letter  on my keyboard ha topped working, o I am going to update you on the eptember Board Meeting after I get it fixed!!