WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins are
pleased to announce that the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has
selected the Patten Free Library in Bath to launch the 2007 Big Read program
in Maine.
The Big Read is a national initiative to encourage literary reading by
encouraging communities to come together to read and discuss one book. The
Patten Free Library in Bath was among libraries in 85 other cities that
competed to participate in this year’s program. The NEA will award the
library a matching grant of $5,000 to engage the old and young alike in
reading and discussing the book, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. In
addition, the NEA will provide free support materials—reading guides for
student and community participants, a teacher’s supplement for the classroom,
a comprehensive website, and marketing materials for print, television, and
radio.
“At a time when fewer and fewer people take the time to read, we applaud
the dedicated staff members who work and volunteer their time at the Patten
Free Library in Bath for their interest in this wonderful program,” said
Senators Snowe and Collins in a joint statement. “We should do everything we
can to encourage our children to discover the joy of reading great literature.
We can not think of a more rewarding and enjoyable way to do so than by
encouraging the entire community to become involved in this national reading
project.”
The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to
supporting excellence in the arts - both new and established - bringing the
arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education. Established
by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the
Endowment is the nation's largest annual funder of the arts, bringing great
art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases.