(August 10, 2007) To inspire non-readers and readers alike, Contra Costa County’s fastest growing community college, Los Medanos College (LMC) will be giving away hundreds of the classic literary novel “To Kill a Mockingbird” free to people who simply want to read for pleasure.
“People are too busy these days…there are so many distractions out there that we forget the pleasure of simple activities such as reading. We need to get back to the basics,” said Senior Dean of Information Technology and Services Cherry Li-Bugg.
“A study by the National Endowment for the Arts showed the rate of literary reading has been steadily declining in this country since the 1980s, especially among young adults. However, studies have also shown that there is a positive link between reading and civic engagement, even participation in sports.”
Handing out free copies of the novel is made possible from a grant for the Big Read Program, which The National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) just awarded to LMC. Local support and funding has also been secured with partners of the LMC Foundation, East Bay Community Foundation and Wells Fargo.
LMC was only one of the 117 communities selected to participate in the nationwide event that has been endorsed by First Lady Laura Bush. The premise of the Big Read Program is to get as many community members as possible to read and discuss one book in month long period.
“Los Medanos College and its Library are very excited to be the agent that brings this one book, one community concept to East Contra Costa County,” said Li-Bugg. “We selected ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ because it is a beloved classic and well-known to all. It also deals with many issues that are still contemporary and relevant today.”
Besides reading the book, LMC will host many other free events such as film screenings and book discussions. Please see attached calendar of event flyer. For more information, visit the LMC website at www.losmedanos.edu or contact LMC’s Big Read Coordinator at (925) 439-2181, ext. 3130 or moleson@losmedanos.edu.
Los Medanos College is the largest and fastest growing institution of higher education in East Contra Costa County. The public two-year community college was founded in 1974 and is part of the Contra Costa Community College District. Located in Pittsburg, California, the campus is on 110 acres and serves approximately 18,000 students annually. In 2001, LMC added its Brentwood Center, which has 14 classrooms and is rapidly growing. Los Medanos is Spanish for “Sand Dunes” and LMC was designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) in 2005 by the U.S. Department of Education, serving a diverse student population that mirrors the East Contra Costa County demographics.
