This Fall, the One Book Project invites everyone to read and discuss the themes of Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body, which explores ableism, inclusion, access/accessibility, and independence/interdependence.
Children, teens, and adults can participate in reading fiction, nonfiction, and graphic novels curated in our One Book Companion Title List and Readers Advisory List. Readers are also encouraged to join our online One Book Project Reading Challenge on Beanstack, where participants will win digital badges and prizes by completing activities.
All 22 Kern County Library locations will host programming, including storytimes, crafts, and other activities. The Library Department has partnered with educational institutions, organizations, departments, and other community agencies throughout the county to offer the following 2023 One Book Project Events:
KICKOFF EVENT:
One Book Kick-Off Event: Resource Fair and Panel Discussion on Navigating campus and community from different perspectives
Wednesday, September 13th, from 11 am to 1 pm
Bakersfield College, Levan Center 1801 Panorama Dr, Bakersfield, CA 93305 PH 661-395-4011
Please join Bakersfield College and the Kern County One Book Project for our annual Kick-Off Event. We’ll be joined by student, staff, and community panelists discussing the multitude of ways we navigate the world and how to support and provide support to everyone in that endeavor. Resource Fair to follow! Connect with college departments, services, and community organizations that serve disabled students and community members!
AUTHOR VISIT:
An Evening with Rebekah Taussig – Author of Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary, Resilient, Disabled Body
Thursday, October 26th at 7 pm CSUB’s Icardo Center, 9001 Stockdale Hwy Gym, Bakersfield, CA 93311
PH 661-654-2583
Free and Open to the Public! Free parking after 6 p.m. CSUB One Book Project web page.
Rebekah Taussig, disability advocate, educator & best-selling author, will challenge everything you think you know about disability as she invites us to a talk about her experience of living in a body that looks and moves differently than most. Taussig, who has been paralyzed since the age of three, is a mom, wife, author, disability advocate, and educator with a Ph.D. in creative nonfiction and disability studies. A storyteller at heart with a great sense of humor, Taussig invites us to think bigger and more critically about who has a seat at the table and the barriers that bar others from inclusion. – CSUB One Book Project
ON-SITE LIBRARY EVENTS: Parks, Parafencing & Play: Adaptive Sports and outdoor places for disabled community members!
Thursday, October 5th, from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm
Beale Memorial Library 701 Truxtun Avenue Bakersfield CA 93301 PH 661-868-0701
Come learn about open spaces, recreational places, and adaptive sports programs available in Kern County for disabled residents! Experience sports demonstrations by Special Olympics participants in the library lobby area and a wheelchair Parafencing demonstration on stage in the Auditorium.
Speakers/Partners
a. & b. Supervisors Pilar Colunga and Ja’Nette Beck, City of Bakersfield Recreation and Parks District
c. Nathan Gutierrez, ADA & Title VI Coordinator, City of Bakersfield
d. Jasmin LoBasso, Superintendent of Recreation & Community Services, North of the River Recreation & Park District
e. Kellie Peterson, Manager II, Sports & Programs, Special Olympics Southern California-Kern County Office
f. Matthew Johnson, Player and Team Spokesperson, Valley Children’s Ice Center – Bakersfield Oilers – Special Needs Hockey – and mother of athlete Matthew Johnson – Charlotte Johnson
g. Lucas Dobrzanski is the Founder, President, and Coach of the Kern Athletic Fencing Foundation
Red Carpet Movie Night:
Friday, October 27th, from 6 to 9 pm
Beale Memorial Library 701 Truxtun Avenue Bakersfield CA 93301
PH 661-868-0701
Disabled and all community members are invited to dress up to the nines and enjoy our red carpet for photo ops in front of a specially designed selfie station – or mingle by community organization and help yourself tables with information and swag! Guest Speaker Dale Oprandy, Executive Director of Inclusion Films, and short film screening of their short film, Enough is Enough, produced by Inclusion Films before the main attraction, Rising Phoenix. Inclusion Films, started in 2007 by veteran filmmaker Joey Travolta, teaches filmmaking to individuals with developmental disabilities in six dedicated production studios throughout California.
Schedule
Short Talk by Dale Oprandy, Executive Director, Inclusion Films 6:20 – 6:30
Short Film created by Inclusion Films titled Enough is Enough 6:30-7:15
Main Film Attraction: Rising Phoenix 7:15 to 9:00 pm [1 HR 45 Min]
Additional Partner
PathPoint Project Search – Clients created the selfie stations and marquee for the event!
Courage After Fire: Shares and Services for Disabled Veterans
Thursday, November 9th, from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm
Beale Memorial Library 701 Truxtun Avenue Bakersfield CA 93301
PH 661-868-0701
Join us for an evening with combat veterans who will share their stories of military service and the true cost of freedom. Our guest speakers will talk about how they received help after coming back home and the services, organizations, and programs that helped them re-adjust to civilian life.
Speakers/Partners
a. Casey Schaubschlager, Director of Programs and Outreach, Wounded Heroes Fund
b. Chad Garcia, Combat Veteran, Advocate, Small Business Owner, and Skydiver, Comrades and Canopies
d. Ben Rodriguez, Outreach Representative, Department of Veterans Affairs Vet Center
