Door County Library’s Morgan Mann insists that the book selected for this year’s National Endowment for the Arts Big Read was chosen well before the pandemic struck the world. This year’s book, “Station Eleven” is set in a post-apocalyptic North America, twenty years after the initial collapse of civilization when culture is reshaping itself and defining a new normal. While readers can start flipping pages this weekend thanks to a free book giveaway at area branches on Friday, NEA Big Read events will start taking place virtually in January. The events include performances, lectures, and a Q&A session with the book’s author Emily St. John Mandel. Mann says given the world around us right now, she believes this is a powerful book for people to check out.

Mann is excited to see how high participation can get now that people can tune into the events across the world and read the book on their smart device. The Door County Library system is one of eight in the state and 84 in the country to be rewarded an NEA grant to participate in the program. Since the libraries are open by appointment only right now, you have to call ahead to reserve a copy.