Reading Across Rhode Island is RI's One Book, One State community reading program run by the RI Center for the Book and its dedicated committees.
Each year, the program focuses on a single book selected to stimulate meaningful discussions across our state. Once the selection is made, bookstores, schools, and libraries spread the word and build up momentum toward our concluding event featuring sold out addresses by the author. The Center provides thousands of books at no cost to schools and readers to fuel discourse that flows from connecting over a shared story and then bolsters the program with an in depth resource guide compiled by experienced teachers. The Center integrates dramatic and visual arts to enrich the reading experience. RARI penetrates every city and town in Rhode Island across all generations and classes of citizens.
Rhode Islan
d Center for the Book is a statewide organization devoted to promoting personal and community enrichment by celebrating the art and heritage of reading, writing, making, and sharing books. By providing access to books in a wide range of formats, supported by relevant, socially impactful programming, created by an inspired network of teachers, librarians, writers and readers, the Center for the Book engages people of all ages and backgrounds across Rhode Island.
Every state has a Center for the Book that are all affiliates of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. Rhode Island Center for the Book has been the Rhode Island affiliate of the national Center for the Book at the Library of Congress since 2003. The Center collaborates with Rhode Island schools, libraries, senior centers, nonprofits, churches, book festivals, bookstores, businesses and more to promote empathy, experience and understanding through literacy, discussion, education and reading. In these difficult and polarized times, collaboration and not divergence is essential and the strength of the Rhode Island Center for the Book comes from the hundreds of passionate volunteers throughout the state, who drive the Center’s programming, events and connections.