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About the Book Partners Calendar Resources
 
 
 

The City of Franklin and Williamson County Library are proud to bring “The Big Read” to our community. “The Big Read” is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in Partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences designed to revitalize the role of literature in American culture and bring the transformative power of literature into the lives of its citizens. According to a recent NEA study, Reading at Risk less than half of Americans read literature (novels, short stories, poetry, or drama) for pleasure in the course of a year. We will join over a hundred communities across the country to fight this trend and encourage reading for pleasure and enlightenment. To submit your comments about The Big Read program, click here.
 

“When a man’s partner is killed he’s supposed to do something about it. It doesn’t make any difference what you thought of him.” -Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon

Hammett Caricuture

“To encourage literature and the arts is a duty which every good citizen owes to his country.” – George Washington
 
Big Read Program

Over the next two months, the entire community will be asked to read the classic detective fiction novel, The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett. The City and Library have partnered with nearly two dozen community organizations to bring a variety of activities focused around the book: a Roaring 20s Kick-off Party, Film Noir Lecture featuring Steve Womack of Watkins Film Institute, Detective Fiction Lecture, Art Exhibits at the Library and City Hall, Movie showings, over twenty book discussions across the City in English and Spanish, Trivia Night at La Hacienda, and the finale… a Murder Mystery Dinner Theater. Check the calendar for these events and more. Free copies of the book, readers guides, and audio guides will be available to Franklin citizens at various events on a first come first serve basis.

As part of “The Big Read” we will have “Little Read” programs for our younger readers. These events will be focused around the books Mystery at the Club Sandwich by Doug Cushman and The Malted Falcon by Bruce Hale. Click here for a list of detective fiction children’s books.