Stories Unite Us
In 2028, as the Summer Olympics bring athletes and communities together across Los Angeles County and host cities throughout the United States, LA County Library invites communities from around the globe to participate in One Book, Our Community, a global community reading program that celebrates the power of books and reading to connect people across cultures, generations, and borders.
What is One Book, Our Community?
Inspired by the spirit of the 2028 Summer Olympics, One Book, Our Community is the next evolution of LA County Library’s award-winning One Book Community Reading Program. Designed to unite communities through a shared reading experience, where participating library systems invite their customers to read one selected book that encourages meaningful conversations about identity, resilience, civic pride, belonging, and our shared humanity.
LA County Library is inviting library systems, universities, and community organizations from the U.S. and across the world to participate in this global reading program. Each participating library system is encouraged to adapt the One Book, Our Community program to their needs and interests.
Each participating library system will select their own title, which will serve as their “One Book” for the One Book, Our Community reading program. Participating library systems will have the opportunity to feature their own series of programs and activities inspired by their selected book while still being part of a larger global movement that centers on the power of reading.
Books selected by participating One Book, Our Community partners will be featured in the official One Book, Our Community online booklist that will be shared with the general public before the 2028 Summer Olympics. Featured programs from participating library systems will also be featured on the One Book, Our Community program website, which will launch in Summer 2027.
Join the One Book, Our Community Initiative
- Foster civic engagement and community dialogue
- Celebrate diverse voices and lived experiences
- Build empathy through shared stories
- Strengthen partnerships with cultural, educational, and community organizations
- Connect local communities to a global movement inspired by reading
How to Participate
LA County Library invites public library systems across the U.S. and around the world to become participating partners in One Book, Our Community.
Whether your library serves a small rural community or a large metropolitan region, your system can customize the One Book, Our Community program to meet your community’s unique interests while participating in a global shared reading experience.
Participating libraries will have access to planning resources designed to support successful implementation, including:
- Program planning guides
- Project timelines and checklists
- Communications and marketing templates
- Best practices from previous One Book initiatives
- Opportunities to collaborate with fellow participating library systems in nearby regions
Together, we can create meaningful conversations that extend beyond library walls and connect communities through the universal power of storytelling.
Calling Public Libraries to Join the One Book, Our Community Initiative
Stories have the power to bridge differences, inspire understanding, and bring people together.
As the world turns its attention to the 2028 Summer Olympics, One Book, Our Community offers libraries a unique opportunity to create lasting connections through literature and conversation.
Join LA County Library and library systems around the globe in demonstrating that books and reading can spark countless conversations and that reading together can help build stronger, more connected communities.
Sign up to receive information on how your system can become a featured One Book, Our Community participating library system.
Origins of One Book, Our Community
One Book, One County (2024)
The One Book Community Reading Program began in 2024 with One Book, One County, bringing together 18 public library systems representing 202 libraries across Los Angeles County to serve more than 10 million residents.
Communities collectively read L.A. Weather by Maria Amparo Escandón, a novel exploring identity, migration, family, class, climate change, and belonging. Throughout the summer, participating libraries hosted book discussions, educational programs, and community events that used storytelling to spark conversation, build empathy, and strengthen community connections.
One Book, One Coast (2026)
Building on the success of One Book, One County , LA County Library expanded the initiative into One Book, One Coast, the largest community reading program on the U.S. West Coast.
From March through May 2026, nearly 200 public library systems representing more than 1,000 libraries across Washington, Oregon, and California came together to read They Called Us Enemy by George Takei.
Through partnerships with California Humanities, the Japanese American National Museum, and colleges and universities, libraries facilitated thoughtful conversations about history, identity, civil discourse, misinformation, and the importance of preserving diverse perspectives. The initiative concluded with a live conversation featuring George Takei that welcomed more than 650 attendees in person and reached more than 3,000 additional viewers through livestream and recorded programming.
These collaborative reading experiences demonstrated how a single book can inspire dialogue, foster understanding, and strengthen communities across regions.
