Booth Library has named “Grapes of Wrath” the book to read this year in their One Book, One University program.

Similar to what the library did last fall with “Frankenstein,” the library will be holding discussions, films and speakers relating to the George Steinbeck novel. The novel will be connected to an exhibit on farm life the library will be hosting in February and March 2007.

Allen Lanham, dean of library services, hopes to incorporate “Grapes of Wrath” not only into the exhibit about farm life but current events as well.

“The exhibit comes with panels and photographs and realia, or pieces of things representing farm life such as the kitchen or the barn. Those types of things,” said Lanham. “We hope using the ‘Grapes of Wrath’ will stimulate people to think about farm life. Through that it is easy to incorporate modern issues that could be related to the book as well, like the immigration policies for migration of Hispanic people.”

Chosen by the library advisory board and the library faculty, “Grapes of Wrath” is a novel that many departments and disciplines can incorporate within their class discussions, said Lanham.

“We want people to read and discuss, to be aware of literature,” said Lanham. “The faculty wants the book chosen to directly relate to their discipline. We try to chose something the will fit in to many different departments.”

The problem that comes about when a book is chosen for this program is usually how involved faculty wants students to get. According to Lanham, the library wants faculty to be original in their discussions of the novel. However, some faculty wants the teaching of the book to be highly prescriptive, or taught the same way throughout the various departments.

Lanham said that is impossible to do because students do not want to be taught the same thing in all their classes and the library cannot do anything because they do not have credits to give nor do they have direct contact with students.

Hopefully the faculty of the departments will find some creative way to incorporate the novel into their class discussions, said Lanham, whether they offer extra credit or not.

“Here is a way for faculty to emphasis learning,” said Lanham. “[The novel] takes place on many different levels. Sometimes it might just be for an extra 20 points; sometimes it’s to learn about your own interests. We are hoping people will understand the enjoyment found through reading without the push of someone else, to just do it for yourself.”

The library will be sending out information about the spring semester event to the different departments in the middle of fall semester. The library wants to make sure it gets the full attention that it deserves.

Some departments have already decided to discuss “Grapes of Wrath” in their classes for the fall and spring semesters.

Dana Ringuette, an English professor, said, “If the few faculty members that I’ve heard from are an indication (most faculty members are not on staff over the summer), then, yes, English classes will incorporate ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ into syllabi for fall and spring semesters: sophomore-level courses in literature, upper-division courses in the major program, and elective courses in film and literature.”

However, not all faculty are fully aware of what the library has planned. Anne Zahlan, another English professor, said she really did not know much about the “Grapes of Wrath” being named the book for one book, one university.

“I do not know much about it,” Zahlan said, “but I think it is a great choice. The sooner the department and faculty know about it the sooner we could incorporate it in our classrooms.”

Zahlan said sometimes the library does not give the English department enough notice to get the novels ordered as texts for the classes. Even though “Frankenstein” had some notice only some classrooms were able to actually incorporate the book.

Zahlan also explained that just because the novel might not be assigned in come classes, that does not mean they should overlook the library’s exhibit and book discussions.

“Faculty do not have to assign it to have students talk about it,” said Zahlan. “People can cooperate and attend the events but do not necessarily have to use the novel as a text. Discussions can be made in any 20th century American literature course or even a 1002 class.”