PARIS – The 2008 One Book One Community will kick off its celebration of community reading at 7 p.m. Monday, March 3, at a program featuring Kate Braestrup, author of “Here If You Need Me,” in the Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School Forum.

Following the tragic death of her state trooper husband, Braestrup took up his dream of becoming a minister and is now chaplain of the Maine Warden Service. Her book chronicles her spiritual and emotional journey toward her work with Maine wardens, as well as her growth as a single parent facing love, loss and renewal.

“Making a Difference” is the theme of this year’s programs, planned by a collaboration of area libraries. Programs will be offered on Monday evenings in March highlighting the theme, and book discussions will be held at participating libraries throughout the month. All programs are free and open to the public.

The program has chosen to “make a difference” by joining the African Library Project to help provide books for a new library in Botswana.

The One Book Planning Committee seeks community members to partner with them to send 1,000 books to the Mabule Primary School. During March, boxes will be placed in the One Book participating libraries to collect materials.

More information about the opportunity will be available at the kick-off on March 3 and at http://www.oxfordhillsreads.blogspot.com. For more information about the African Library Project, visit www.africanlibraryproject.org.

Programs will include the following:

“Making a Difference: Maine Guides” will be held at 7 p.m. Monday, March 10, at the Norway UU Church. Don Kleiner will talk on safety in the outdoors and orienteering and Wendy Bertrand will present survival activities. Both are Maine Guides. It is a family-oriented program open to children and adults.

“Making a Difference: Organizations” will be the focus of a program at 7 p.m. Monday, March 17, at the Norway Memorial Library. Representatives from two organizations will talk about their work. Janet Littlefield will discuss the Little Field Home, an orphanage in Malawi, and disaster volunteers Julie Peterson and Allen Crabtree will talk about their work with the Red Cross.

“Making a Difference: People” will be the topic of a talk and exhibit by Rob Shetterly at 7 p.m. Monday, March 24, at the Norway Memorial Library. Shetterly’s “People Who Tell the Truth” is a traveling collection of portraits of individuals who have spoken out about the truth. A collection of the portraits will be on display during March at Norway Memorial Library.

“Making a Difference: Community Project” will be the focus of the program wrap-up at 7 p.m. Monday, March 31, at the Norway UU Church. Books collected for the African Library Project will be sorted and packed for shipment to Mabule, Botswana. Tastings of African foods will be available, and adults and children are invited to take part in this community event.

For information about book discussions, locations, dates and times, or to purchase the book “Here If You Need Me,” contact the following participating libraries: Bolster’s Mills Village Library; Freeland-Holmes Library, Oxford; Harrison Village Library; Hebron Academy Library; Norway Memorial Library; Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School Library; Paris Public Library; Stephens Memorial Hospital Library; Waterford Library; West Paris Public Library; Whitman Memorial Library, Bryant Pond; and Zadoc Long Free Library, Buckfield.