Looking for your next book to read? Consider joining hundreds of thousands of readers in the Big Library Read, facilitated by OverDrive and available for free to all library patrons with library cards from an OverDrive-participating library. This including the public libraries in Palmerton, Lehighton, Slatington and Jim Thorpe.

This month’s Big Library Read title is “Flat Broke with Two Goats,” a memoir by Jennifer McGaha about her family’s attempt to recover from their own financial crisis following the Great Recession — which included foreclosing on their beloved house, moving into a century-old cabin, homesteading, and turning a last-ditch effort to settle their debts into a deeper appreciation for living off the land and building a home.

The book is available as both an eBook and audiobook. eBooks can be read or listened to on most computers or devices, including Kindle, Chromebook, iPhone, iPad, and Android phones and tablets.

The Big Library Read continues through April 16. Library patrons will have access to the title for two weeks after they initially borrow the eBook or audiobook (local library cardholders can borrow it from cldl.overdrive.com), and can join in a global discussion forum online at www.biglibraryread.com.

“We’ve done more than a dozen titles at this point, because we do them several times a year,” said Adam Sockel, a marketing and communication specialist at OverDrive. “Originally, our CEO Steve Potash got this idea that we provide this service to readers all around the world. You can access a book anytime, anywhere. He thought it would be really cool to create a digital book club, to see what we could do. He wanted to connect readers from all around the world.”

The first Big Library Read title, “The Four Corners of the Sky” by Michael Malone, attracted discussion from tens of thousands of people.

“We realized that we had something, and it just kind of took off from there,” said Sockel.

Now in its fourth year, the Big Library Read attracts between 100,000-200,000 readers for each title.

“It’s a really cool thing to see,” he said. “It’s meant to bring readers from all over the world together, and that’s exactly what it’s doing.”

The Big Library Read is possible through a simultaneous use license, which allows libraries to lend an eBook or audiobook to an unlimited number of readers or listeners at the same time, with no wait lists. (In most cases, media can be borrowed by only one person at a time.)

“What I love seeing is that people tell us that they’ve never participated in something like this before. When people hear the term ‘book club,’ especially if it’s a community program and not something run by their friends, it can be intense to talk with people that you don’t know,” said Sockel. “When a book club is online, you can meet people from all around the world but in a relaxed setting. Not everyone likes to go in a public forum and share their thoughts.”

Readers can also continue their discussions on their own social media pages and use the hashtag #BigLibraryRead for a chance to win a Kobo Aura ONE from OverDrive.

Sockel noted that joining a book club regularly can connect readers to new authors and ideas.

“‘Flat Broke with Two Goats’ is not the type of book that I’d normally read, but I loved it,” he said. “It probably would not have jumped out at me if it had not been for that program. One of the really great things about OverDrive and digital books in general is that you never know what’s going to be featuring on their site. You might give it a try if it’s available.”

Local librarians said that Big Library Read is just one benefit of having a library card.

“There are so many things that you can use your library card for,” said Melissa Hawk, the director of the Lehighton Area Memorial Library.

She hopes to include this summer’s Big Library Read title in the Lehighton library’s adult reading program.

“As we add services and programs, one of the things we are looking at is our summer program and adding more things for adults. I thought that would be a really good program for adults, because they can do it on their own time and at home,” she said.

Hawk noted that reading a book for a book club can be a different experience, one that encourages the reader to think more deeply while they are reading.

“It makes it a communal experience. Reading is often such a solitary thing, and it makes it more of a shared experience,” she said. “It makes you think about what you’re reading, and about questions you might have for other people as you’re reading. You’ll experience the book while you read it and then again when you discuss it with other people.”

She’s seen some book clubs dramatically change a reader’s opinion of a book, and said that group discussions can help readers make sense of topics that don’t touch on their own personal experiences.

Hawk’s plan for this summer is that in addition to the global discussion forums on OverDrive’s website, Lehighton’s library will also host a local forum and discussions on its Facebook page or website. They may also tie the summer title into a traditional, in-person book club.

“We’ll have more access to copies of the book,” she added. “Libraries sometimes have a hard time affording eBooks, so anything that helps us get more books to more people is great.”

The library may have two Kindles to loan to patrons during the summer Big Library Read, to allow those who do not have a computer or compatible device to take part in the program.

Hawk noted that while it’s always possible to find free eBooks online, library patrons have access to a wider variety of titles and genres of books and eBooks.

“It’s a great benefit,” she said. “The books that we pick for our library’s collection are books that we are pretty sure people are going to enjoy.”

“Flat Broke with Two Goats” can be borrowed through cldl.overdrive.com through April 16 with a public library card from Carbon or Lehigh county.