CARLSBAD — In an effort to bring the community together to read the same book, Carlsbad libraries are hosting 19 Carlsbad Reads Together events throughout April.
The month-long event is sponsored by Carlsbad Friends of the Library, which gets its funding from used book sales and donations.
The events are based on themes explored in the book “The Human Age: The World Shaped By Us” by Diane Ackerman and include a technology expo, movie showings, a concert and a chance to meet Ackerman.
A committee of librarians, program directors and Friends of the Library board members chose the book.
Library Programs and Venues Coordinator Keith Gemmell said after years of selecting a work of fiction, the committee was ready to select a non-fiction.
The committee narrowed the field by selecting a handful of books written by authors who would be available to come to Carlsbad for an author event.
After reading a few, they selected the best one.
In Ackerman’s new book, she explores humans’ impact on the environment. She discusses how human ingenuity is affecting the planet we live on, both for the good and the bad.
“We felt like it was a broad range of topics that Ackerman talks about that it would appeal to a lot of community members ranging from tablet learning to cryogenics, to stem cell research to robotics and depending on what side you stand on some of those issues, overall Ackerman has a very optimistic view,” Gemmell said.
The library has ordered more than 80 copies of the book to prepare for Carlsbad Reads Together, which coincides with National Library week starting April 18.
The movie screenings tie into the theme of human innovation and start with “The Jurassic Park,” which will show at the Georgina Cole Library April 8 at 6 p.m.
At the Dove Library in the Ruby G. Schulman Auditorium, “The Theory of Everything” will play April 15, “The Social Network” will play April 22 and “Interstellar” will play April 29, all at 6 p.m.
The book selection also ties into new technological upgrades at the city libraries.
“We’re in the process of doing re-designs at two of our facilities with the auspices of trying to become libraries of the future and we thought it was nice to look into this book and see the human innovations and the changes we can have since we’re going through so much change here,” Gemmell said.
Cole Library will receive $5.3 million in upgrades and the Dove Library will get $6.34 million.
On April 7, Gemmell said the library committee is set to go in front of City Council to award a building contract.
Construction will begin late this summer, so as not to interfere with the Summer Reading program.
On April 18 at 3 p.m., Ackerman will be at the Dove Library to answer questions from the audience and do a book signing.
All of the events are free although the author event is limited to the first 270 people in attendance.
Local businesses will also present at a STEM expo at The Dove Library April 11 at 11 a.m.
A full listing of all of the events are online at carlsbadlibrary.org.
