Jefferson-Madison Regional Library invites all readers to participate in an exciting program that will be held during March 2014. JMRL is partnering with the National Endowment for the Arts in The Big Read.

The Big Read concept is simple: to have as many people as possible in our community reading the same book at the same time. This year, “True Grit” by Charles Portis will be the Big Read. JMRL will be hosting many free community programs and discussions about the book, as well as other western-themed events, at all library branches. The schedule of events for the Big Read can be found at www.jmrl.org/bigread.

From the moment it was published, “True Grit” earned acclaim from critics as a classic Western tale. In the decades since, readers of all ages and fans of all literary genres have fallen in love with the indelible voice of Mattie Ross, as she recounts her youthful quest to avenge the murder of her father with the aid of a down-at-heels federal marshal named Rooster Cogburn.

The National Endowment for the Arts launched The Big Read after a survey in 2004 showed a decline in the reading of literature. Less than half of American adults read literature, according to the report. The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with Arts Midwest. The Big Read is supported by the Art and Jane Hess Fund of the Library Endowment.