Quincy Public Library receives grant from National Endowment for the Arts for Big Read program

QUINCY — The Quincy Public Library is one of 62 organizations nationwide selected to receive a 2022-23 NEA Big Read grant. A grant of $11,000 will support a community reading program focusing on the book “Sitting Pretty” by Rebekah Taussig.

An initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest, the NEA Big Read broadens our understanding of our world, our communities and ourselves through the power of a shared reading experience.

“The Quincy Public Library is honored to once again be a recipient of the NEA Big Read grant and, through this opportunity, enrich our community by giving away free books and creating programs to aid us in uniting and understanding the differently-abled in the Quincy community,” QPL executive director Kathleen Helsabeck said in a press release.

The NEA Big Read offers a range of titles that reflect many different voices and perspectives, aiming to
inspire meaningful conversations, artistic responses, and new discoveries and connections in each
community. The main feature of the initiative is a grants program, managed by Arts Midwest, which
annually supports dynamic community reading programs, each designed around a single NEA Big Read
selection.

“It is inspiring to see how NEA Big Read grantees like the Quincy Public Library utilize these books as
launchpads for their own programming, often creating opportunities for community conversations, new
partnerships and encouraging participants to incorporate art into their daily lives,” said Maria Rosario
Jackson, chair of the National Endowment for the Arts.

A kickoff event on Sept. 15 will include a keynote speaker. Copies of “Sitting Pretty” will be provided to the community at no cost. The month of Big Read events will include programs for patrons to learn more about and participate in adaptive sports and learn conversational/basic American Sign Language.

Accompanying the Big Read is the self-titled “Little Read” for school-aged readers with the picture book
“Walk Ride Rodeo: A Story About Amberley Snyder” by Amberley Snyder also provided at no cost. Snyder, a championship barrel racer and speaker, will complete the Big Read with a convocation and author’s visit on Oct. 12.

If you are a person with a disability who requires special assistance for programming or patron materials, call 217-223-1309.