The Great American Read

On April 30, 2018, the American Library Association (ALA) selected 50 public libraries in 31 states to participate in a programming opportunity around The Great American Read, an eight-part PBS television series and multi-platform initiative that celebrates the joy of reading and the books we love.

Hosted by television personality and journalist Meredith Vieira, The Great American Read will engage audiences with a list of 100 diverse books encouraging audiences to read the books, vote from the list of 100, and share their personal connections to the titles.

Participating libraries were selected through a competitive application process to receive a cash grant to support programming around the series, as well as a programming kit for The Great American Read developed by ALA and PBS. This kit will help public libraries participate in a national conversation about reading and books, including those featured in the series that highlight themes of love, heroes, villains, other worlds and self-discovery. Library grantees are invited to view the Site Support page for access to promotional materials and other resources for grant administration.

Learn more about The Great American Read.

The Great American Read is a production of Nutopia for PBS. PBS funding for The Great American Read is provided by the Anne Ray Foundation and PBS.