One Book, One Philadelphia celebrates 10 years - Free Library of ...

“I cannot think of another program that inspires so many people,touches lives so profoundly, and brings diverse peoples together incountless ways that help fulfill the promise of Philadelphia as the Cityof Brotherly and Sisterly Love,” says Field. “I love seeing how peopleparticipate with such enthusiasm and hearing how they open up andtalk to each other about things that matter.”“One Book, One Philadelphia is a shiningexample of the immense power of literacy andcommunity,” said Siobhan A. Reardon, Presidentand Director of the Free Library. “By unitingdiverse audiences around real-world issuesthrough the shared act of reading, One Book hasremained a steadfast cultural and educationalbeacon in the City of Philadelphia for the past 10years. I am so proud of One Book, One Philadelphia,and I cannot wait to see what the next 10 yearshave in store!”TOP: Marjane Satrapi,author of the 2010featured selection, TheComplete Persepolis, speaksto a packed audience atParkway Central Libraryabout growing up in Iranduring the tumultuous 1979Iranian Revolution.BOTTOM: The 2010 OneBook Kick-Off Eventfeatured a performanceof traditional Persianmusic by Philadelphia Orchestracellist and InterculturalJourneys DirectorUdi Bar-David, right,Iranian composer KazemDavoudian, left, and musicianKave Mazhari.With community-based programs similar to One Book popularthroughout the country, featured authors too recognize the value andthe uniqueness of One Book, One Philadelphia. “No other city does itlike this and reaches into so many segments of the population,” saysSherman Alexie, whose books are frequently chosen for One Book-likeprograms nationwide.Philadelphia native Lorene Cary, author of the inaugural One Bookselection, The Price of a Child, cites the diverse audiences she spoke{ 8 }with throughoutthe city as having aprofound effect onher writing. “Thatexperience has mademe so conscious ofcraft and form,” saysCary. “And it has madeit very clear to me thatthere is no excuse foranything less than thegreatest accessibilitySome of the youngestOne Book fans get a hands-on ballet lesson fromformer Pennsylvania Ballet Principal Dancer WilliamDeGregory after they enjoyed a special performanceinspired by Maria Tallchief, the famed Native Americanprima ballerina, during the 2011 One Book season.with the most sophistication that I can figure out how to do as an artist.”If uniting people through literature is the goal of One Book, OnePhiladelphia, the program couldn’t have been more successful thanin its 2010 season. Megan Young and Siamac Yamin-Afshar wereintroduced by a mutual friend and quickly discovered a shared love ofMarjane Satrapi’s The Complete Persepolis—which happened to be theOne Book, One Philadelphia selection that year.“The first night we went out together—as friends—was to the [OneBook] kickoff event,” says Young. “The following week, we wereback in the same seats to see Steven Kinzer speak about his book,All the Shah’s Men. By the time Persepolis Quizzo at the WynnefieldBranch rolled around, we were much more than friends, andthings had gotten serious enough that I met his parents for thefirst time at a panel discussion on the freedom of the press inIran at the Constitution Center!” Young and Yamin-Afshar cite OneBook as having made the early stages of their relationship evenmore special by fueling endless hours of conversation. They weremarried at the Free Library in April 2011.Similar stories of making connections and building communityare common across every year of One Book, One Philadelphia. Incelebration of the program’s 10th anniversary in 2012, the Free Libraryis planning an array of retrospective special events, incorporating thestories of past authors and participants, in addition to a robust varietyof programming surrounding the recently announced 2012 featuredselection, Create Dangerously: The Immigrant Artist at Work by HaitianAmerican author Edwidge Danticat. A powerfully moving collectionof essays and memoir, Create Dangerously makes an impassioned casefor immigrant writers to bear witness against oppression, sometimesimperiling their own and their readers’ lives. Danticat’s focus onthe crucial importance of books and reading and the courage oftenrequired for both makes Create Dangerously an especially fittingselection for One Book, One Philadelphia’s 10th anniversary year.Amid the fervent planning of the 2012 season, Field takes amoment to reflect on the legacy of One Book, One Philadelphia.“The most rewarding part about One Book is knowing that ithas become a Philadelphia tradition that touches the lives ofindividuals and the community as a whole,” she says. “What weobserve is the tip of the iceberg. There is a great ripple effectbeneath the surface. I hope it goes on and on.”One Book, One Philadelphia kicks off its 10th anniversary season on January 25.Eight inspired weeks of programming—including craft workshops, paneldiscussions, film screenings, and book clubs—run through March 17. To learnmore, visit freelibrary.org/onebook.LEFT AND RIGHT: The interiorand exterior of the OakLane neighborhoodlibrary in 1911. Courtesyof the Print andPictures Department.Oak Lane Library Remains Cornerstone of Tight-Knit CommunityBranch celebrates 100th Anniversary in DecemberDrop in to the Oak Lane Branch of the Free Library on any givenafternoon, and you’re immediately struck by what a thoroughlymodern place it is. Kids crowd around the children’s librarian buzzingabout the latest social networking tools; adults use the library’s onlinedatabases to search for new jobs; and shelves feature materials thatdidn’t exist a decade or two ago—they’re packed with graphic novels,audiobooks, and DVDs.Yet the Oak Lane neighborhood library is nearly a century old, poisedto celebrate its 100th anniversary this December. Opened in 1911—aresult of the efforts of the Ladies Review Club of Oak Lane, the LibraryAssociation, and funding from Andrew Carnegie—the library wasnestled among large single-family homes in a sprawling, shadyneighborhood that got its name in honor of a beloved oak tree thatblew down during a storm in 1860.As the city’s population grew, the neighborhood became more compactand families of immigrants from Germany and Ireland, many of whomworked in factories nearby, moved in. Each passing decade broughtnew demographic changes; today, many of Oak Lane’s 15,000 residentsare African American, and the factories that dotted the area early onhave disappeared. In their stead, busy neighborhood groceries, smallbusinesses, and daycare centers pepper the tight-knit community.“This is such a wonderful, diverse community,” notes Deb Ahrens,head of the branch. “The residents of Oak Lane take such great pridein their neighborhood—such as the Tree Tenders, Friends of the OakLane Library, and Oak Lane Community Action Association. I’m reallyenjoying being here.”But, as they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same.While the neighborhood demographics have changed and the Oak Lanebranch has grown into a dynamic and digitally savvy organization, itsrole as a true cornerstone in community has remained unchanged.Take those lively kids, for instance. Ellwood Elementary School is rightacross the street from the library, and—Ahrens says cheerfully—“itgets a little happy in here every afternoon.” Many of the studentsare eager to spend time with children’s librarian Kate Bowman-Johnston, discussing their favorite books and getting her expertfrom theNEIGHBORHOODS{ 9 }MIDDLE: A logo from the Oak LaneLibrary used in 1911.recommendations for what to read next. And when school lets outfor the year, the students often spend even more time at the libraryto participate in Summer Reading and enjoy a multitude of creativeliterary activities, from drawing their own comic after reading agraphic novel to using a reference resource to identify some of themany international flags displayed around the room.Current Oak Lane resident Patricia Smith brings her grandsons to thelibrary to participate in Summer Reading and develop their interestin books. “[My grandsons] are involved in two other reading projectsduring the summer, but we especially look forward to the Oak LaneLibrary,” she says. “[Oak Lane] consistently provides a great programthat will encourage their academic efforts.”Thirty or 40 years ago, the relationship between kids and librarianswasn’t quite as informal as it is today, but elementary students stillfilled the branch to learn and interact with friends. “The library wasa very important part of my development when I was in elementaryschool,” says Lee Davidson, who grew up in the neighborhood. “I spentmany hours there, reading everything I could get my hands on.”Residents of Oak Lane today continue to rely on the Free Library asthose who came 100 years ago did. While customers who walkedthrough the doors in 1911 were likely seeking print-based materials,today’s customers rely on the branch not only for these types of itemsbut also for free Wi-Fi, computer access, tips on digital media, and, ofcourse, those popular Tai Chi classes that have been a staple at Oak Lanefor three years.Through all the years and all the changes, the Free Library has remaineda celebrated keystone of the Oak Lane community and stayed true to itsmission: to advance literacy, guide learning, and inspire curiosity.The Oak Lane branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia will celebrate its 100thanniversary on December 7. To learn more about the history of the Oak Laneneighborhood, check out Oak Lane, Olney, and Logan by Marita Krivda Poxon,Rachel Hildebrandt, and the Old York Road Historical Society.• • • BY DAVID LIGHT