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Menlo Park Library highlights One Book, One Coast community read and related programming
Summary
Librarian Rose Blockman outlined Menlo Park’s participation in One Book, One Coast, featuring graphic memoir They Called Us Enemy, distributed copies and e-book access, and two months of programs on Japanese American history; staff said school distribution is possible depending on pickup rates.
Menlo Park’s Library Commission heard a presentation on April 20 about the city’s participation in One Book, One Coast, a multi-region community-read program that staff say is drawing participation from libraries across California, Oregon and Washington.
Rose Blockman, Library and Community Services supervisor, said the chosen title for the regional read is the graphic memoir They Called Us Enemy and that Menlo Park is offering free copies while supplies last, providing unlimited e-book access via Libby and Comics Plus and hosting two months of programming focused on Japanese American history and culture. “We’ve got free copies of They Called Us Enemy, we’ve got unlimited reading of They Called Us Enemy on both Libby and Comics Plus, we’ve got our special exhibition in the library, and we’ve got two months of programming,” Blockman said.
Blockman credited program specialist John Leefer with coordinating tie-in events and said the program includes teen book-club selection and a special exhibit tied to the theme. She noted that LA County is hosting an author talk on May 31 and that nearly 200 libraries are participating in the regional effort.
Commissioners asked about outreach to local school districts, including the Ravenswood and Menlo Park districts, and whether copies had been distributed to school libraries. Blockman said school distribution had not been prioritized yet but that staff could pursue school copies if pickup rates at the public libraries indicate there are surplus copies. “If we hit May and we get to a point where we feel like we’re going to have books to offer them, then that would be the conversation,” she said.
The presentation also discussed promotion: Blockman said staff are using displays, the library website and social media, and that program notices have appeared in local newspapers. Commissioners and staff agreed to monitor circulation and attendance data and bring further details back to the Commission if needed.
The Commission received the presentation and had no formal action on the item. The Commission’s next meeting will consider regular business and updates on other items in the work plan.
