"A Walk in the Woods" Named 2010 One Book

The Allegheny County Library Association has chosen Bill Bryson’s book “A Walk in the Woods” as the 2010 One Book One Community selection. The book came out of Bryson’s efforts to hike the Appalachian Trail. The idea of the annual One Book One Community effort is to get as many people in Allegheny County to read the same book and then foster discussions about the book and how it applies to our everyday lives. Among the topics illuminated in the past was mental illness and cultural awareness. This year the discussions and events will focus on the environment. Library Association outreach coordinator Charity Leonette says that means many of the discussions and events will take place outside of the region’s libraries. Some libraries have planed hikes and nature artist demonstrations and the Association has teamed up with Venture Outdoors and Sustainable Pittsburgh to build more events. The events begin in April and run through May with a few events stretching into the summer. Leonette says the Library Association will be sending extra copies of the book to libraries and special 12-book “Book Club Kits” have been built. Those kits will also include discussion questions and other resources to help the leaders of the groups. The Library Association will try to post as many of the events on it's "One Book One Community" web site as it can. Leonette says it was a nice coincidence that they chose the environmental theme the same year that the UN chose Pittsburgh to be the host city for World Environment Day.