Jamestown Prendergast Library 2015 Big Read Event

Our (Ashley Weinheimer and Leslea Moss) Big Read events for Jamestown Prendergast Library in Jamestown NY included a teen and adult event. Our library partners were excited to have us focus on two of their main groups in the library. We incorporated interactive components into each event that created an environment where the participants could freely speak about the novel through a different viewpoint.

The Teen Snack & Chat: 

Our goal was to make The Great Gatsby as accessible as possible for a teen audience. We know that the novel is commonly read in high school, so incorporating facts into a game where prizes (candy) were offered created a fast-paced and engaging environment. It was different than a typical book discussion, because we created a Jeopardy game with topics relating to the book while making sure traditional discussion was still a large part of the event.

We started the event with a broad discussion about what books they enjoyed, and why they liked to read. They were animated and excited, and the books they enjoyed ranged from horror-thrillers to graphic novels and game-based novels. They were open and forthcoming about their interest in books of all kinds, and we used this to dive into the discussion of The Great Gatsby.

We had three participants of different ages (6th to 11th grade). They had not read the novel; however, after a brief plot summary and help with the questions within the game, we were able to stimulate enough interest in The Great Gatsby that they expressed high interest in reading the novel in the future.

The Jeopardy game had questions like "What type of narrator is Nick?" and "What does Gatsby do?" Our participants were enthusiastic and engaged, and excited to be discussing a book outside of a classroom. It was wonderful to see students getting excited about literature, and watching them put the novel into a greater context than just plot, or narration. They had the opportunity to apply the ideas in the novel to their own lives and to get involved in the Big Read event.

As we were leaving, they asked "When is your next event?" This event was incredibly rewarding, not just for the participants but also for ourselves.

The Adult Snack & Chat:

Our goal for this event was to take a theme from the novel and focus the event around it. We chose advertising and ideas surrounding consumerism to highlight the behaviors of Gatsby, Nick, and Daisy throughout the novel. Our displays emphasized the importance of advertising along with related passages from The Great Gatsby. We also brought a game into the event that was not as plot based as the teen event, but rather left our audience with something relatable to think about in their own lives.

We started the discussion by asking the participants (6 total, from ages 25 to 72) what brought them to this Big Read event. The answer, while not concrete, had to do with a love of literature and the novel itself. While we had intended for the discussion to focus on advertising, it morphed into a discussion of the effects of the novel, as well as the American dream. We had a participant bring an article with him from the AARP magazine that fit into our event seamlessly. It concerned an authors reaction to The Great Gatsby, and the gentleman who brought the article read it for us. It was exciting to see community members being so interested in the novel.

The discussion lasted for a solid 45 minutes, and could have gone on longer if the time permitted. It was rewarding to hear the book and the author discussed in such depth.

Our game, Guess My Cost!, took advertisements and pricing from the 1920s and compared them to the present-day equivalents. Our participants had to guess the 1920s prices of eggs, Coca-Cola, Jell-o, raisins, sugar, and Campbell's Vegetable Soup. We gave them the present-day prices for the same products, and the winner (she got 4 of 6 correct) received a $10 Barnes&Noble gift card.

Jamestown & Its History:

From the beginning, we knew that Jamestown is a city deeply ingrained in the history of Chautauqua County. While our teen event did not focus on the historical aspect of The Great Gatsby, we knew that the adult audience would appreciate the connection between 1920s New York City and their local area.

 We found a map of 1882 Jamestown, and while the time period was a bit earlier, the community and library partners were very excited about a historical source the related closely to the Big Read.

The Big Read was the perfect opportunity for both of us to give back to the community that we live in. It was amazing to be able to share our love of literature with the the individuals who came to our events.