What if everyone in Decorah read the same book at the same time? That's the idea behind Decorah's "All-City Read," a reading program organized by Decorah Public Library Director Lorraine Borowski to bring neighbors together and build a sense of community while promoting literacy and discussion.

As the time of death approaches, individuals and families are often faced with difficult personal decisions that seem to pit quality of life against longevity. Should they move to hospice care and seek a peaceful death at home with loved ones? Or should they risk another treatment, surgery, or drug with the possibility of dying in the ICU, hooked up to machines, unable to communicate?
 
Dr. Atul Gawande's New York Times bestseller, "Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End," grapples with these challenging questions by telling the stories of people who have wrestled with them.  Books and audiobooks are currently available for checkout at Decorah Public Library.
 
A free panel discussion about the book will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, October 22nd at the library.
 
Contact Decorah Public Library at 563-382-3717 for more information.