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BUCHANAN — This summer in Buchanan, a partnership between the Buchanan District Library and the city’s One Buchanan board is promoting the idea that a town that reads together, succeeds together.

The One Book, One Buchanan program will conclude with a community book discussion at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 1. at The Common, an outdoor venue located behind the library. The book discussed will be “Caste: The Origins of our Discontents” by Isabel Wilkerson.

“We’ve given out a lot of books,” said Library Director Meg Paulette. “More than 130 copies. It’s great to know so many people are reading this important book.”

The Buchanan District Library won a grant from the American Library Association to support the creation a community-wide reading program called One Book, One Buchanan, and partnered with the city of Buchanan’s One Buchanan board to choose the book. One Buchanan started as an independent nonprofit in 2016 and became an official city board in January 2021.

One Buchanan’s mission is to advance Buchanan as a city that welcomes and cares for all people irrespective of race, ethnicity, religion, gender or sexual orientation, officials said.

“It has been wonderful to work with One Buchanan on this project,” Paulette said. “They not only helped us choose the book ‘Caste,’ they have also continued to work with us as we plan for the event next week.”

The Sept. 1 event is open to all community members, not just those that have participated in One Book, One Buchanan. Sarah Gault, Community Outreach Coordinator for the Buchanan District Library, will facilitate the discussion, and be joined by a panel of community leaders. The panel includes Trish Robinson, superintendent of Buchanan Community Schools and One Buchanan board member, Ruth Writer, Buchanan Community Schools board member, One Buchanan board member, and retired Buchanan High School Social Studies teacher, Harvey Burnett, sergeant at the Buchanan Police Department and professor of psychology at Andrews University, Adam Burck, director of the Buchanan Area Senior Center and One Buchanan board member, Karen McGuirt, teacher at Moccasin School and trustee on the Buchanan District Library board, and Kadin Mills, Buchanan High School graduate and student at Northwestern University in Chicago.

“We know, and hope, that the discussion will take many turns, so we ask that participants come with a listening ear and an open mind. Everyone is welcome, even if they have not had the chance to read the book,” Gault said.

Ebook and audio book copies of Caste are still available through the library’s digital collection.