If
All of RIT Read the Same Book
The RIT Library and Campus
Connections is proud to support Writers
and Books' 2005 If
All of Rochester Read the Same Book project.
This year's selection is Andrea Barrett's collection of short
stories Servants of the Map.
One-book projects
such as this are community-wide reading programs meant to
connect people through shared reading experiences. Throughout
the four-month long project, schools, libraries, and bookstores
all over the Rochester area will be hosting events culminating
with several events in the Rochester area between March 14th
and March 18th.
If All of RIT Read the Same Book will run
from December through March 7th culminating
with a book discussion on Tuesday, March 15th from 3:00 -
5:00 p.m. in the Idea Factory (1st floor) of Wallce Library.
Additional events may be held during the four-month long project.
If All
of RIT Read the Same Book has added another dimension to the
traditional shared reading experience. We asked ourselves "What if
all of RIT actually read THE SAME book?" -- meaning, literally, what
if the same book is passed from person to person. It is the informal passing
of books from one person to another that makes this experiment so interesting.
It's a terrific way to foster a sense of community and turns this project
into performance art.
In December the RIT Library
released 70 copies of Andrea Barrett's Servants
of the Map into the RIT community. Students, faculty,
and staff are encouraged to read the book, write comments
in the margins, and sign and date the inside back cover. In
addition, we encourage people to visit our online
discussion board to participate in the on-going campus
discussions about this book or this project.
Once you are finished with the book, please pass
it onto another member of the RIT community so that they too can participate.
Person by person, reader by reader, we will be building a community through
our shared reading experience.
We want as many people to participate
in this project as possible. So please keep the books moving
from one person to the next. If you can't find anyone to pass
the book on to, please drop it off at the Library's circulation
desk. We will make it available at a prominent display on
the first floor. In addition, several copies will circulate
in the traditional manner from the library. Servants of
the Map will also be available for purchase for $10.46
(a significant 25% discount) from Campus
Connections.
Over the course of this project, we
hope that hundreds of RIT students, faculty and staff will
have read and passed around the multiple copies of this book.
We hope that this project encourages friendly and spontaneous
discussions.
If All of RIT Read the Same
Book will culminate in March. We ask that all copies
be returned to the Library on March 7th. On Tuesday, March
15, from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m., in the RIT Library's Idea Factory
(1st floor, Wallace Library), we will host a book discussion.
Any and all copies that get returned will be on display so
that participants can find the copy they read and see just
how far it traveled. Refreshments will be served.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: "How
can I get a copy?"
A: There are several ways to get a
copy:
- Pick up the specially marked copies
from the RIT Library (see the display on the 1st floor,
in the 14-Day Book area.) If you have one of the
specially marked copies, you do not need to check it out.
Just take it with you when you leave (as long as you promise
to return it or pass it on.)
- Acquire
one from someone who has already finished reading it.
- Purchase your own copy at RIT's Campus Connections and
receive a 25% discount ($10.46).
- Check out one of the copies from the Library's circulating
collection.
Q: "Can
I actually write my comments in the book?"
A: YES. We are encouraging
people to write comments in the pages of the books of the
specially marked copies. It's part of the design of this project.
These comments should be limited to your personal thoughts
on the book. In addition, you may post your comments to our
online discussion
board.
Q: "After
I read the book, can I just return it to the Library?"
A: YES. If you prefer to return it
to the Library rather than pass it on to another person, you may return
it to the Library's Circulation Desk. We urge you, however, to return
it promptly upon finishing it, so that it is available for others to use.
Q: "Is
there a place where I can read others' observations about the book, or
leave a review?"
A: YES. An online
discussion board has been set up for the RIT community
to share their thoughts. There, you may post and respond to
messages, as long as your posts are relevant to the book or
this entire experience. You can revisit often to read messages
left there by other people participating in the event.
Q: "What
are you going to do with the books after this project is over?
"
A: After our March 15th
wrap-up party the specially marked copies of this book will
be made available for people to keep.
Feel free to post any other questions or comments about this
project to the online
discussion board or contact the
organizers of If All of RIT read the Same Book.
Questions about If All of Rochester Read the Same
Book can be directed to Writers
and Books.
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