Library systems across Salt Lake County are uniting to encourage everyone to connect by reading the same book.

United We Read SLC, a collaboration between Murray Library, Salt Lake City Public Library, and Salt Lake County Library Services, launches on January 18th at the Clubhouse, formerly Ladies Literary Club, in Salt Lake City. The book selected for the initiative is A Man Called Ove, by Fredrik Backman, a New York Times bestseller, and the County Library’s 2015 Reader’s Choice winner.

“As residents of Salt Lake County, we share a tie to our location and we are all invested in the County as our space. As we go about our busy days, it’s too easy to become disconnected from one another,” said Kim Fong, director of Murray Library. “United We Read SLC is designed to create a common experience for everyone in Salt Lake County and to foster a connection that crosses any divides of geography, ideology, or diverse experiences.”

Covering a variety of topics – marriage, caregiving, mental health, suicide, immigration, auto mechanics, construction, and, most importantly, kindness – it provides multiple opportunities for readers to relate to the book’s diverse cast of characters and to the concept of community.

In addition to uniting community members through reading, everyone is invited to participate in community discussions, programs, and events and to contribute to a public collection of stories of kindness – random, intentional, received, and given. Stories may be submitted through the United We Read SLC website: unitedwereadslc.org

United We Read SLC runs through May 2017.

WHAT: United We Read SLC – Official Launch

WHEN: Wednesday, January 18 – 10 am

WHERE: Clubhouse, 850 E. S. Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84102