Big Read

The Big Read

 

This year, Galesburg Public Library will be celebrating the Big Read of Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon from March 6 to April 30.  Whether you are a mystery reader or not, this classic book is considered one of the best detective novels ever written and is a must read.  Who killed Detective Sam Spade’s partner?  Where is the coveted Maltese falcon statue? You will have to pick up a free copy of the book to find out!

The first opportunity to pick up a free copy of the book will be at our Kick-Off Party on Friday, March 6 from 6:00 PM to 7:45 PM at the library.  Our Kick-Off Party will feature an interactive mystery.  The library will be turned into a giant game of Clue and participants will be able to interact with and hear clues from the suspects. You can sleuth out the answer to the mystery on your own or as part of a team. Participants that solve the mystery correctly will be entered to win a prize. If you would like to participate in solving the mystery, please sign up at the Reference Desk, although registration is not required. You can sign up by visiting the Reference Desk, calling 309-343-6118 or emailing reference@galesburglibrary.org. There will also be cake and other fun activities at the Kick-Off Party. This event is free and open to all ages. Doors will open at 5:45 PM on Friday, March 6.

 

Other events include:

• A free screening of the movie adaptation of Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon starring Humphrey Bogart on Friday, March 20 at 7:00 PM at Galesburg’s historic Orpheum Theatre (doors open at 6:30 PM)
• Art inspired by The Maltese Falcon on display at the Galesburg Civic Art Center from March 28 to April 18
• A scavenger hunt for children at the library on Tuesday, March 31 at 6:00 PM
• A keynote presentation on The Maltese Falcon at the library on Monday, April 6 at 6:30 PM
• Book discussions at the Galesburg Civic Art Center on Thursday, April 9 at 6:30 PM, at the library on Tuesday, April 14 at 1:00 PM, and at En Season Cafe on Thursday, April 30 at 11:30 AM
• And many more events and discussions!

For a full list of events, including events at other area libraries, please visit http://www.neabigread.org/communities/?community_id=1142.

Free copies of the book are available as long as supplies last. To view the reader’s guide or listen to the audio guide for The Maltese Falcon, please visit http://www.neabigread.org/books/maltesefalcon/.  Both the reader’s guide and the audio guide will also be available as links on the library’s database computers starting on March 6.  The reader’s guide can be printed out for you at the Reference Desk for $1.00 (10 cents per page).  A copy of the audio guide can be checked out from the library.

The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts, designed to revitalize the role of reading in American culture by exposing citizens to great works of literature and encouraging them to read for pleasure and enrichment. The Big Read is managed by Arts Midwest. Galesburg is one of 77 communities nationwide participating in The Big Read from September 2014-June 2015. The Big Read in Galesburg is presented in partnership with Carl Sandburg College and the Galesburg Civic Art Center.

If you have any questions about The Big Read please email lauren.pierce@galesburglibrary.org or call 309-343-6118 and ask for Lauren Pierce, the Big Read Coordinator.

 

The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

For more information about The Big Read, please visit www.neabigread.org.

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