At East Regional Library's One at a Time Book Club, Percy Jackson catalyzes new friendships and shared laughs among adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. According to a recent report by the City of Fort Worth, the club is no standard gathering—the group began reading "Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief" back in June and enjoys the collective experience of a novel over time, meeting weekly from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. every Tuesday, they aren't bothered by the pace which they inch through the adventures of Percy and his cohorts.
Adult Services librarian at East Regional, Lynn Holt, acknowledged the creation of the book club to celebrate and include an often marginalized community, saying, "We came up with the idea because we knew this was an underserved population," the group already had a routine of checking out books together. It has since become a stronghold of connection and confidence-building. "We’ve got some folks who are really very confident about reading out loud," Holt stated, according to the City of Fort Worth, highlighting how participation enhances reading skills and personal self-assurance.
More than just readers, these individuals have become integral parts of each other's lives and the fabric of the library itself—swapping personal stories and growing as familiar with the staff as the stories on the pages, "They’ve become friends with us, the staff, they tell us about their personal lives, and we get to check on them and see how they are doing," mentioned Holt in the same breadth, capturing the essence of community interwoven through each session of the book club, their connections extending beyond the spines of whatever fantasy Hadley or Jeff may rave or learn about next, as reported by the City of Fort Worth.
