Library Chat: Speaking of books

By Medicine Hat News on December 8, 2017.

For more than 10 years the Medicine Hat Public Library and the Medicine Hat College library have partnered to bring in renowned Canadian authors, first through the One Book One Community program that included book discussions and a meal and then, for the past few years, it has been called Speaking of Books focused on readings from the visiting author at both the college and public libraries.

This year the featured author is Marina Nemat, who wrote two non-fiction books about her incredible life experiences: “Prisoner of Tehran” and “After Tehran: A Life Reclaimed.”

In January 1982, Marina Nemat, then just 16, was arrested, tortured and sentenced to death for political crimes. Up to that point her life in Tehran had centred around school, summer parties at the lake, and her crush on Andre, the young man she had met at church. But when math and history were subordinated to the study of the Koran and political propaganda, Marina protested. Her teacher replied, “If you don’t like it, leave.” She did, and, to her surprise, other students followed.

Soon she was arrested, along with hundreds of other youths who had dared to speak out, and they were taken to the notorious Evin prison in Tehran. In “Prisoner of Tehran,” Marina tells the story of her incarceration and the turn of events that led to the commuting of her death sentence and to her eventual release.

“Prisoner of Tehran”was a contender for Canada Reads 2012. It was championed by Arlene Dickinson.

Marina will be speaking in the public library’s newly renovated theatre at 7 p.m. on Feb. 1 and she will be at the college library at 10 a.m. on Feb. 2. The public is invited to attend either or both presentations.

Copies of her books are available for loan from both of the libraries and thanks to the One Community One Card initiative, people who have a public library membership can borrow from the college using that card while the students and staff of the college can use their college cards to borrow from the public library.

These programs are just some ways that the public library partners with the college and the community. The college, for a number of years, held a collection of MHPL@MHC fiction books and DVDs that were duplicate copies of popular fiction items owned by the public library made available at the college.

There are eight of these “branchlets” around the city, including a popular rack of paperbacks that have been donated to the library and made available at the airport for travelers. There are others at places like the campground, hospital, and the new Books on the Bus where newer donations of all types of books are put in bins on each of the transit buses by Uwe Krickhahn, one of the library volunteers. More than 3,500 items were made available this year through these locations, with thanks to those who donate newer materials to the library.

Keith Walker is head of fiction services at the Medicine Hat Public Library.

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