ATHABASCA – While the Alice B. Donahue Library has been offering reading programs to the children of the Athabasca area over the course of the summer, their upcoming fall programs are for an audience that is a little older.
Starting in mid-September, the One-Book One-Community Committee will be hosting an array of events centred around the water theme of their chosen book, Watershed by Doreen Vanderstoop. The events will be hosted through the local library, the Athabasca Watershed Council, Mossy Trails and other local organizations and everyone is welcome to attend.
The One-Book One-Community program was created to foster community-minded events surrounding novels such as these, said program coordinator Cheryl Andrews.
“It was an idea that was brought to us by a community member as a way to get our community connected through literature,” she said. “The committee is composed of community members, not-for-profit groups, and Athabasca University librarians (and Alice B. Donahue librarians),” Andrews said.
When it came to deciding what book would be read, the group came together with an array of options and voted based on what they thought would be most relatable and had important themes for community members to discuss.
“I think there was just enough that people connected to, and we thought it was a nice first book because this is an inaugural year. We're hoping that this One-Book One-Community will happen every year,” Andrews said.
Watershed was chosen, in part, because of its many easily-relatable themes and it was written by an Albertan about Alberta.
“The themes that were resonating for this community is the successional farming, there's water shortage, as it takes place in the future,” Andrews said.
Because most of the novel follows concepts of water shortages, many of the events being held by the One-Book One-Community program have a heavy focus on water.
“We have a community paddle planned. We've got a couple of online book discussions, and one that's going to be in person, discussing topics from the book. We have a website scavenger hunt the watershed council is putting on," Andrews said.
There will also be a movie night, a walk at Mossy Trails, and a photography exhibit throughout the fall.
“We have two that will require registration in advance because they'll have limited capacity, which is our community paddle and our nature walk and reading at Mossy Trails,” Andrews explained. “But everything else you can just come.”
The novel itself is recommended for those in their older teens and up due to the more complex themes explored in the novel, but many of the events can be fun for the whole family.
Every event is free and will be happening from mid-September until mid-November. Multiple copies of Watershed are available at the Alice B. Donahue Library for those interested in participating.
More information on specific dates and locations will be made available on the Alice B. Donahue website at https://www.athabascalibrary.ab.ca/one-book-one-community.
