Courtroom Drama Film Series Every Monday Night

The Quincy Public Library Big Read programs are drawing large crowds, particularly our Courtroom Drama Film Series on Monday nights.  The first movie, 12 Angry Men was an Oscar nominated film which featured well-known and critically acclaimed actors Henry Fonda, E.G. Marshall, and Jack Klugman.  Directed by Sidney Lumet with a screenplay by Reginald Rose, this film went on to win numerous awards and is one of the American Film Institute's picks of top films in its genre.

The jury of twelve 'angry men,' entrusted with the power to send an uneducated, teenaged Puerto Rican, tenement-dwelling boy to the electric chair for killing his father with a switchblade knife, are literally locked into a small, claustrophobic rectangular jury room on a stifling hot summer day until they come up with a unanimous decision - either guilty or not guilty. The compelling, provocative film examines the twelve men's deep-seated personal prejudices, perceptual biases and weaknesses, indifference, anger, personalities, unreliable judgments, cultural differences, ignorance and fears, that threaten to taint their decision-making abilities, cause them to ignore the real issues in the case, and potentially lead them to a miscarriage of justice.


Fortunately, one brave dissenting juror votes 'not guilty' at the start of the deliberations because of his reasonable doubt. Persistently and persuasively, he forces the other men to slowly reconsider and review the shaky case (and eyewitness testimony) against the endangered defendant. He also chastises the system for giving the unfortunate defendant an inept 'court-appointed' public defense lawyer who "resented being appointed" - a case with "no money, no glory, not even much chance of winning" - and who inadequately cross-examined the witnesses. Heated discussions, the formation of alliances, the frequent re-evaluation and changing of opinions, votes and certainties, and the revelation of personal experiences, insults and outbursts fill the jury room.

The film is a powerful indictment, denouncement and expose of the trial by jury system. The frightened, teenaged defendant is on trial, as well as the jury and the American judicial system with its purported sense of infallibility, fairness and lack of bias. Alternatively, the film could also be viewed as commentary on McCarthyism, Fascism, or Communism (threatening forces in the 50s).

Next week's movie will be Anatomy of a Murder.  Please call 223-1309, ext. 207 or go online at http://www.quincylibrary.org/ to make your reservations.

Big Read at Quincy Senior High

The Quincy Public Library came to Quincy Senior High for a Big Read-In at the school on Thursday, September 24.  Sophomore classes had their Reading Hour devoted to To Kill a Mockingbird, and library staff members were on hand to give out programs booklets and reader's guides to all participants.

The Big Read Kickoff was a Great Success!

As video games and other forms of digital media have continued to take over the American culture, reading has suffered dramatically. In an effort to address this national crisis, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) developed the Big Read, a nationwide program that seeks to increase literary reading in the United States. Since 2006, when the program debuted, and 2007, when it was launched nationally, nearly 400 communities throughout the United States have participated in the program. Whether you are an avid reader or someone whose books collect dust on the shelf, , the Big Read can change your life.

Quincy kicked off its second BIG READ on Thursday, September 17th with over 600 people in attendance. This multigenerational event attracted patrons of all ages, including students from Quincy Notre Dame and Quincy Christian school. Over 400 books were distributed at the BIG READ kick-off, with an additional 200 books distributed to local schools prior to the event. The crowd enjoyed a proclamation by Mayor John Spring and a moving presentation by Judge Scott Walden.

An Introduction to Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird"

Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird is the rare American novel that can be discovered with excitement in adolescence and reread into adulthood without fear of disappointment. Few novels so appealingly evoke the daily world of childhood in a way that seems convincing whether you are sixteen or sixty-six.

Lee tells two deftly paired stories set in a small Southern town: one focused on lawyer Atticus Finch's defense of an unjustly accused man, the other on his bright, bratty daughter's gradual discovery of her own goodness. For many young people this novel becomes their first big read, the grown-up story that all later books will be measured against.

Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird begins at the end. The novel opens with the adult Jean Louise "Scout" Finch writing, "When he was nearly thirteen, my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow." By the time Jem finally gets around to breaking his arm more than 250 pages later most readers will have forgotten they were ever warned. This echoes the way the whole book unfolds-in no special hurry, with lifelike indirection. Nothing happens all by itself.

The book's two plots inch forward along parallel tracks, only converging near the end.
The first plot revolves around Arthur "Boo" Radley, who lives in a shuttered house down the street from the Finches and is rumored to be some kind of monster. Scout, Jem, and their next-door neighbor Dill engage in pranks, trying to make Boo show himself. Unexpectedly, Boo reciprocates their interest with a series of small gifts, until he ultimately steps off his porch and into their lives when they need him most.

The second story concerns Scout and Jem's father, the attorney Atticus Finch. The local judge appoints him to defend a black man, Tom Robinson, who is falsely accused of raping a white woman. Atticus suspects he will lose the case, but he faces up to the challenge just the same, at one point heroically stepping between his client and a lynch mob.
Along with its twin plot lines, To Kill a Mockingbird has two broad themes: tolerance and justice. Lee treats the first through the children's fear of their mysterious neighbor. She illustrates the second with Atticus's courage in defending Robinson to the best of his ability, despite the racial prejudices of their small Southern town.

Tying the stories together is a simple but profound piece of advice Atticus gives Scout: "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view.... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it." By the end of the novel, Scout has done exactly that-guessed at the pain not only beneath Tom Robinson's black skin, but also under the fishbelly pallor of her neighbor.

This information can also be found at http://www.neabigread.org/books/mockingbird/readers02.php

Quincy Public Library receives NEA grant

The National Endowment for the Arts recently announced the Quincy Public Library has been selected to receive a BIG READ grant. Designed to encourage members of our community to read and discuss one significant book, the BIG READ grant gives communities the opportunity to come together to read, discuss, and celebrate one of 30 selections from U.S. and world literature. Quincy Public Library is one of 269 programs--including arts, culture, and science organizations; libraries; and municipalities--to receive a grant to host a Big Read project between September 2009 and June 2010.

The Quincy Public Library is partnering with Quincy Public Schools, Quincy Notre Dame and Quincy Christian School to present the 2009 BIG READ. The month-long initiative, designed to get members of the community to read the same book, at the same time, will begin on September 17th with a BIG READ-IN at Washington Park and Senior High. The sole goal of the campaign is to spark reading and discussion as a whole by the community. The Quincy Public Library has received a National Endowment for the Arts BIG READ grant that will make it possible to distribute a minimum of 500 copies of the book, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The Library will host a film series and lecture series, and a final event will be held in the Adams County Courthouse. The Judges of Adams County have graciously agreed to participate in a new READ poster featuring the judges, in robes, in the Adams County courthouse.

Last year, the Quincy Public Library was a participating member of the Illinois State Library BIG READ grant initiative. This year, the Library is the stand-alone grantee and will be able to provide over 500 books to Quincy residents. The generous support provided by both the Quincy Herald Whig, Quincy Society of Fine Arts, Great Debate Books, and WGEM made the first BIG READ project a success. With the continued support of the Quincy Herald Whig, Quincy Society of Fine Arts, Great Debate Books, Niemann Foods, Friends of the Library and WGEM the program participation is expected to double this year.

The latest Big Read grantees represent 44 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Since the 2006 pilot program with ten participating organizations, the NEA has given more than 800 grants to support local Big Read projects.

The selected organizations will receive Big Read grants ranging from $2,500 to $20,000 to promote and carry out community-based reading programs featuring activities such as read-a-thons, book discussions, lectures, movie screenings, and performing arts events. Participating communities also receive high-quality, free-of-charge educational materials to supplement each title, including Reader’s, Teacher’s, and Audio Guides.

“The Institute is pleased to support The Big Read, which brings communities together to enjoy literature in their public libraries,” said Anne-Imelda M. Radice, Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the NEA’s lead federal partner for The Big Read. “Libraries are community anchors that serve as centers of engagement, literacy, and lifelong learning. There is nothing better than to read a great book and share your delight and insights with others.”

The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest. Support for The Big Read is provided by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Transportation for The Big Read is provided by Ford.For more information about The Big Read please visit http://www.neabigread.org/.The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts—both new and established—bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Arts Endowment is the nation’s largest annual funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases.

For more information, please visit http://www.arts.gov/. The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute’s mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development.

For more information, please visit http://www.imls.gov/.Arts Midwest connects people throughout the Midwest and the world to meaningful arts opportunities, sharing creativity, knowledge, and understanding across boundaries. Arts Midwest connects the arts to audiences throughout the nine-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. One of six non-profit regional arts organizations in the United States, Arts Midwest’s history spans more than 25 years. For more information, please visit http://www.artsmidwest.org/.