Saratoga Reads! has an uncomplicated mission: to invite all members of the Saratoga Springs community to participate in a shared reading experience, and to take part in conversations and events inspired by our annual reading selections.
Beginning with the 2017 selection, Saratoga Springs Public Library is proud to be the stewards of this community tradition that began in 2005 as an initiative of Skidmore College.
We aim to choose titles for discussion that will appeal to people of all ages and who have various areas of interest. Saratoga Reads! focuses its annual events on a single selection and a Junior Companion title for young readers. Selections are based on a number of criteria, but chief among them are discussability, the potential for local interest, and the potential for a particular title to inspire conversations and experiences that go beyond the book.
Centering on the community-wide reading of a selection rich enough to sustain invigorating dialogue, the conversation will build upon resources available at Saratoga Springs Public Library and those of our partners and other organizations in the wider Saratoga Springs community.
Members of the community are invited to participate in library-sponsored events and discussions, or to engage in independent activities related to the selected titles. Similarly, Saratoga community organizations may initiate their own events inspired by our selection, or contact us with ideas about how we might partner to advance our goal of community-wide engagement!