The Mill City Times Interview: Alayne Hopkins, Director of Programs & Services at The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library

Article by Becky Fillinger

Alayne HopkinsLooking for a new title to read? How about reading a book with everyone in Minnesota at the same time? Alayne Hopkins tells us about the One Book | One Minnesota program and the current selection by local author Louise Erdrich.

Q:  Please tell us about One Book / One Minnesota.

A:  One Book | One Minnesota (OBOM) is a new statewide book club that invites Minnesotans of all ages to read a common title and come together virtually to enjoy, reflect, and discuss. The program is presented by The Friends of the Saint Paul Public in our role as the Minnesota Center for the Book and we work with a statewide network of library partners, especially State Library Services.

Libraries are essential for connection, and through One Book | One Minnesota, libraries across the state – in partnership with local schools – will connect their communities through stories. The program aims to bring Minnesotans closer together during this time of distance and adversity. The first featured title, Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, premiered in April of this year. You can find out more about previous chapters and resources at www.thefriends.org/one-book.

Q:  The upcoming selection for Fall 2020 is The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich. How may interested readers obtain a copy of the book?

A:  OBOM partners with E-books Minnesota to offer free e-book downloads of each featured title for eight weeks. The e-book is available to anyone in Minnesota and for the first two chapters, there were users from nearly every county in the state. For the latest title, The Plague of Doves, we are also offering free, simultaneous downloads of the audiobook. Both downloads are available through this link: https://library.biblioboard.com/module/one-book-one-minnesota/?library=e-booksmn.

Q:  Will there be an author event to go along with the statewide reading?

A:  Yes! There will be a free statewide virtual conversation with Louise Erdrich about her work and The Plague of Doves on Tuesday, December 8, at 7:00 p.m. Register here.

Q:  November is Native American Heritage Month. Louise Erdrich is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. Was the selection of the book aligned to celebrating Native American writers?

A:  We had originally planned to schedule The Plague of Doves and Louise Erdrich’s conversation this summer and pivoted to feature A Good Time for the Truth: Race in Minnesota, following George Floyd’s murder. As one of Minnesota’s most famous and honored writers, we’re thrilled to be featuring Louise and it’s an added benefit that the reading period coincides with Native American Heritage Month. One of the resources on the website is a suggested reading list from the MN Department of Education that features books by and about Indigenous people for young readers; there are children’s picture books, middle grade, and young adult titles.

Q:  Is Birchbark Book and Native Arts participating in the event?

A:  In addition to providing access to the e-book and audiobook for The Plague of Doves, we are also promoting purchases of the physical book and link to Birchbark Books through the website program page. We created a reading guide for the book and solicited feedback from staff at Birchbark and Louise, as well.

Birchbark Books is located at 2115 W 21st Street, Minneapolis, MN 55405