It is often said that "together is better," and as far as reading goes, that rings true.
For the month of June, the Squamish Public Library is providing unlimited access to the ebook and audiobook versions of, Glass Beads by Dawn Dumont, the Saskatchewan-born Indigenous author, actor, and comedian.
This local initiative is part of the Canada-wide, month-long reading event called One eRead Canada, launched by the Canadian Urban Libraries Council. It includes live online events with the author, in-person book clubs, discussions on social media, and more.
Glass Beads, features 20 short stories that follow the friendships of four First Nations people over two decades through the 90s and early 2000s.
Readers who don't already have the app to access online content can head down to the Squamish library for help downloading it.
On Tuesday, June 25, at 6 p.m. the Squamish library will hold a discussion of the book.
Across Canada, other public libraries will be also be offering free, unlimited access to the same book in ebook and e-audiobook formats.
The goal is to widen the public's access to e-content, which are simply books in online formats.
"Improving library access to e-content is good for publishers, readers, and authors alike," said Canadian Urban Libraries Council chair Pilar Martinez.
With this selection during Indigenous History Month, One eRead Canada also aims to help foster further national conversation around reconciliation, Indigenous experiences and the importance of stories with an Indigenous voice, according to the press release.
Thistledown Press is the publisher of Glass Beads.
"We appreciate independent publishers like Thistledown Press who are willing to collaborate with libraries on issues of e-content access and innovative initiatives like One eRead Canada. We're asking multinational publishers to follow suit on behalf of Canadian readers by working directly with our libraries to make all titles available. Programs like One eRead Canada demonstrate the positive effect public libraries have on the publishing industry," added Martinez.
Go to squamish squamish.bc.libraries.coop and click on the Online resources tab for more information.
