The Big Read is a community reading program designed to link Purdue University and Greater Lafayette. With the help of local and university partners, each year we select a great book, create a calendar of engaging events, and provide free copies of the text to undergraduates, high school students, public libraries, and more. Engagement programs like the Big Read produce demonstrable, positive communal effects, and are essential to Purdue’s mission as a public land grant university seeking to educate and serve the citizens of Indiana. Over the past two years, the English Department has given away over 2000 books to the community as part of The Big Read program.