Pioneer Library System’s Spark a Change initiative is returning to area communities in September and will include events featuring New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Letts.
Spark a Change invites all residents of the PLS service area, including those in the Newcastle area, to spark curiosity and inspire change in themselves and their communities.
Each year, PLS identifies a critical topic in Oklahoma and selects titles that address that topic. This year’s Spark a Change theme is resiliency and will feature two titles.
Spark a Change will kick off with its first community read, Elizabeth Letts’ “The Ride of Her Life,” the triumphant true story of a woman who rode her horse across America in the 1950s, fulfilling her dying wish to see the Pacific Ocean.
Community members can join in the conversation as they explore ways to cultivate resiliency with book discussions alongside programs featuring experts on the subject.
A special guest of the Pioneer Library System, Letts will tour McClain, Cleveland, and Pottawatomie counties during seven events today through Monday, September 11 that will include discussions of “The Ride of Her Life.”
Director of Community Engagement and Learning for PLS, Aiden Street, spoke of the theme of resiliency.
“In the past, topics such as poverty and the environment were chosen for their timeliness. This year the topic of resiliency is especially resonant with all of us as we look to resume our activities after the impact of the global pandemic,” Street said.
Residents are invited to join the Spark a Change Challenge and can explore topics like resiliency in everyday life, raising resilient children, financial planning, and more.
“Elizabeth has a love for books and a love for horses which makes her a perfect fit for a series of library programs in Oklahoma,” Street said of the guest author. “We know Oklahomans share a love for Route 66 and interestingly Elizabeth has driven across the country from coast to coast more than 20 times!”
In McClain County, Letts will appear at 10 a.m. Saturday, September 9 at the County Free Fair at the McClain County Expo Center in Purcell, and then at 1 p.m. September 11 at the Blanchard Public Library.
In Cleveland County, Letts will appear at 1 p.m. September 7 at the Moore Public Library, 5 p.m. at The Well in Norman, and at 2 p.m. September 9 at the Noble Public Library.
Letts’ Pottawatomie County appearances will be at the County Free Fair at 10 a.m., September 8 at the Heart of Oklahoma Exposition Center in Shawnee, and at the American Legion Hall in McLoud at 2 p.m. September 10.
Spark a Change will launch a second community read in April 2024: Tembi Locke’s “From Scratch,” with author visits to select locations.
For more information about Spark a Change and related events, and to access digital copies of Spark a Change titles, visit https://pioneerlibrarysystem. org/services/ spark-a-change.
