News Releases

INDIANAPOLIS, December 1 7, 2013 – What would happen if two cities read the same book at the same time? That’s the question Cologne, Germany, and Indianapolis, Indiana, are asking, with a reading campaign co-sponsored by BMO Harris Bank.

 
The sister cities are participating in “One Book, Two Cities,” a shared mass reading campaign that runs through February 2014.  The program is sponsored by BMO Harris Bank and the Indianapolis Foundation Library Fund, and includes a Sister City blog site that allows participants in Indianapolis and Cologne to share thoughts and submit photos around their discussions.

 
“One Book, Two Cities” will bring the two communities together around reading and discussing the book “Vienna” by Eva Menasse. First published in 2005, and translated into English by Anthea Bell in 2007, “Vienna” received the Corine Award for Best Debut Novel.

“Every time we open a book we learn something; encouraging a habit of reading and discussing what we’ve learned is empowering,&rdq uo;  said Tim Massey, Indiana Regional President, BMO Harris Bank. “This campaign is a perfect fit for us because the program aligns so well with our goal of promoting educational empowerment.”

Indianapolis residents are encouraged to organize their own book clubs to discuss the book and participate in books discussions at tThe Indianapolis Public Library.  Over the next few months, the Library is also planning several free events tied into the reading of the book, including a presentation by Joshua Taylor, host of the “Genealogy Roadshow” (PBS) and “Who Do You Think You Are” (NBC and TLC) and lead genealogist for Findmypast.com, Sunday, January 5 at Central Library.

For more information about “One Book, Two Cities,” visit http://www.imcpl.org/sistercities/.

About BMO Harris Bank
BMO Harris Bank provides a broad range of personal banking products and solutions through more than 600 branches and approximately 1,300 ATMs in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Nevada, Arizona and Florida.  BMO Harris Bank’s commercial banking team provides a combination of sector expertise, local knowledge and mid-market focus throughout the U.S.  For more information about BMO Harris Bank, go to the company fact sheet.  Banking products and services are provided by BMO Harris Bank N.A. and are subject to bank or credit approval. BMO Harris Bank^® is a trade name used by BMO Harris Bank N.A. Member FDIC. BMO Harris Bank is part of BMO Financial Group, a North American financial organization with approximately 1,600 branches, and CDN $537 billion in assets (as of October 31, 2013).