The Arvin A. Brown Public Library in Richford has received a 2016 Vermont Reads Grant. Vermont Reads is a program of the Vermont Humanities Council which encourages people to read, share and discuss the same books within their communities, up and down the state of Vermont.

Vermont Reads books for 2016 will be Jennifer Armstrong’s Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World and Caroline Alexander’s The Endurance: Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition. 2016 is the hundredth anniversary year of the climactic and dramatic conclusion of the Endurance expedition (1914–1916). There have been many books written in the last century about Shackleton and The Endurance. Both of the selected books are well-written and image-rich. They were both written in the late 1990s and thus include some of the previously unavailable sources and archival materials from the journey.

The library will host a Community Book Discussion on April 6 at 6 PM in the Betty Donahue Meeting Room. Copies of the books are available both at the public library and the Richford Junior/Senior High School Library. Pizza will be served and all are welcome to bring a dish to share. The book discussion is the first in a series of programs, sponsored by the library, in support of the grant and exploring the topics and themes inspired by the discussion books.

Vermont Reads Shackleton will afford Vermont students and adults alike the opportunity to consider, among other things, the power of vision, courage, and perseverance, the nature of leadership, and the spirit of adventure and exploration. Vermonters will learn about the expedition itself, consider its historical context (including World War I, and Arctic and Antarctic exploration generally), and come to understand better what is happening today to ice in the Arctic, Antarctica, and glaciers worldwide. Both books feature Frank Hurley’s astonishing photography, which brings to life the terrible beauty of that desolate region, the awful destruction of the ship, and the crew’s heroic daily struggle to stay alive and make their way back home.

The Vermont Humanities Council is grateful to the major partners that support Vermont Reads. Since 2007, Vermont Reads has been generously underwritten by Renewable NRG Systemsof Hinesburg, Vermont (formerly NRG Systems). VHC is also grateful for the generous support of the Jack & Dorothy Byrne Foundation and the Fieldstone Foundation. Vermont Public Radiois VHC’s media partner; each year VPR presents several days of Vermont Reads programming.

For more information please contact the Arvin A. Brown Public Library at 848-3313 or arvinabrown@gmail.com