Galesburg Reads kicks off this week with community-wide reading of a post-apocalyptic novel about survival and loss — and a number of discussions and related events throughout the month.
In “The Bear” by Nicholas Krivak, a girl and her father – who are never named – are the last humans on earth. They live off the land in the shadow of a lone mountain with just a few remnants of civilization to help them.
The novel, a finalist for the National Book Award, was called a “beautiful and elegant … gem” by Publishers Weekly.
Given the book’s themes, Galesburg Reads will kick off Saturday, April 6, with a free Survival Skills Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Standish Park.
“As if you were roughing it,” said Emma Cork, grants coordinator and reference librarian for the Galesburg Public Library. “Plant identification and edible plants, and regular survival skills, such as what to do when there is severe weather.”
The Survival Skills Fair is in partnership with the city’s parks department and fire department, as well as the Office of Sustainability at Knox College.
Through the book, the survival fair, and various discussions planned in the community, Cork hopes people gain a better understanding of both the land and of emergency preparedness.
“What to do in case of an emergency is not so much the heroics of what you can do in the moment. It’s about preparation,” Cork said. “A lot of what happens in “The Bear” is, what are the steps that I can take to make sure the future me is going to be okay.”
The rain location for the Survival Skills Fair will be the Lakeside Nature Center, 1033 S. Lake Storey Road.
Where to get the book
The Galesburg Public Library is still moving collections to its new building on West Main Street.
Jane Easterly, assistant director of the library, said an opening date has not yet been set, but a grand opening celebration is planned for May.
With the library currently closed to the public, copies of the book will be distributed at the Survival Skills Fair on April 6.
In addition, free copies of the book will be available beginning April 8 at The Beanhive, Carl Sandburg Historic Site Association, Cornucopia Natural Market & Deli, Innkeeper's Coffee, Jimmy’s Pizza, and Carl Sandburg College.
The Galesburg Public Library has put on a community-wide reading program since 2007.
Easterly said this is only the second time the library did not get funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read program.
“Since we already had a lot of programming in place and partnerships in place, we asked the Galesburg Community Foundation if they could fund our community read, which they did. We’re very grateful for that,” Easterly said.
Other events
Events throughout the month include crafts in collaboration with the Galesburg Community Art Center and a number of book discussions.
There are also tie-in age-appropriate books with similar themes and discussions for children and teens.
A full list of events and book discussions is available on the library’s website.
Events scheduled in the first part of the month will not be on site at the library, but those who participate in Galesburg Reads can get a sneak peak of the new building with a couple of the events scheduled for later in April.
Through the Illinois Road Scholar program, Amy McMorrow Hunter will speak on climate change at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 20, in the new library’s community room. Hunter is CEO of The Climate Economy Education, Inc.
There will also be a free showing of the movie “Into the Wild” at 2 p.m. Wednesday, April 24 at the library.
Then at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, April 29, readers can connect with Krivak, author of “The Bear,” via Zoom. They can log in from home or watch at the library.
Register for the Zoom link through the library calendar or email reference@galesburglibrary.org to register for the in-person meeting.
Easterly said Galesburg Reads challenges people to read a book that maybe they wouldn’t have otherwise picked up.
“Even me. I’m a librarian and there are a number of books that we chose for the Big Read that I would have probably not have not read, they would not have made it on my list,” Easterly said.
Six other area libraries will also be distributing copies of “The Bear” and hosting discussions this month.
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