Embracing Community Book Read will focus on author Peter Block’s book, “Community: The Structure of Belonging.” All are invited to a kick-off event beginning at 7PM Wed., July 31, 2024, in Council Chambers at the Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle Street.
City of Naperville Report
The City of Naperville and the Naperville Public Library invite the community to read along this summer and fall with the Embracing Community Book Read. In the selected book, “Community: The Structure of Belonging” (2018 edition; Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.), author Peter Block describes how in a true community every person is a citizen, relationships are key, and focusing on what is possible is transformative, writing “possibility is a declaration of what we create in the world each time we show up.”
Block, who lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, is the author of several books.
Attend in person or via Zoom at 7PM Wed., July 31
The Embracing Community Book Read begins with a book talk with Peter Block participating via Zoom at 7PM on Wed., July 31. Participants may attend in person at Council Chambers in the Naperville Municipal Center, 400 S. Eagle St., or remotely via Zoom. The Book Read is free and open to all, but registration is required; please visit naperville.il.us/embrace-community for registration information. For those attending online, the Zoom link will be shared via email with registrants before the event.
Participants are invited to read the book during the Aug. 1 to Oct. 5 reading window. The book is available through book retailers and the Naperville Public Library system, including in audio and e-book formats. During the month of October, two sessions of volunteer-led small group discussions will be held at various times and locations, culminating with a final Inclusive Community Conversation on Nov. 7, during which readers will discuss various aspects of the book with the community at large. More specific information, including times and locations, for the small-group discussions and the Nov. 7 event will be shared with registrants later in the summer, as well as on the City’s website and through other channels.
“The Embracing Community Book Read furthers our efforts to create an ‘inclusive community that values diversity’ and to bring our mission to those who live and work in Naperville,” said Geneace Williams, the City of Naperville’s Manager of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, in a written statement released by the City of Naperville. “All are welcomed and encouraged to participate in this community-building activity.”
YouTube Video / Produced earlier in 2024
The Book Read is part of several inclusive community conversations hosted by the City, in partnership with other organizations, in 2024 as part of its “Embracing Community: Expanding Our Dialogue, Deepening Our Understanding” series. The conversations include storytelling and opportunities for the community to participate in intentional, respectful, and ongoing dialogue to deepen understanding while fostering inclusion among generations, cultures, and those with different experiences.