If you visited any Durham County Library location on Saturday, Oct. 3, you would have seen what, on first glance, was a strange sight - all the library staff were dressed in hospital scrubs.

But if you looked carefully above the pocket of those scrubs, you would have seen a little blue bull with his snout deep in a book. Library staff members were wearing these specially printed scrubs in honor of Durham Reads Together 2009, the "one book, one community" program coordinated by Durham County Library.

Durham Reads Together brings the community together through the shared experience of reading the same book. This DRT 2009, which is sponsored by the Friends of the Durham Library, features the book "Something for the Pain" by Dr. Paul Austin. Dr. Austin is a Durham resident, and is a practicing ER doctor at Durham Regional. If you've ever visited the emergency room in the middle of the night, you may have met him.

The book is a first-hand account of Austin's work in the ER, and how the stresses of the job affect him, his marriage, his family and his sense of compassion.

Throughout the book, Austin gives real-life examples of how he must balance a feeling of empathy for his patients with the need to retain a professional distance. At times funny, at times painful, the book gives an honest look at what goes on behind the scenes in a hospital emergency room.

The library has already gotten a great response to the book, and we know many of you have read it or are currently reading it. Copies of the book have already circulated more than 600 times. The library purchased more than 200 copies of the book, yet every copy has at least one person waiting for it when it is checked back in. If you haven't yet read the book, please put a copy on hold at the library today, or visit your favorite local bookstore to purchase a copy for yourself.

Whether you've read the book already or whether it's on your "to read" list, we hope you will join us for the array of programs that are an important part of Durham Reads Together. Each program highlights a theme suggested by the book. You can get a

list of all the Durham Reads Together programs on the Web site at www.durhamcountylibrary.org/drt or by calling 560-0268. All programs are free and open to the public.

We'd like to issue a special invitation for you to join us on Nov. 1 at 3 p.m. at the Doris Duke Center at Sarah P. Duke Gardens for the final event in the month-long Durham Reads Together - the "meet the author" event. Dr. Paul Austin will be interviewed by area writer Rah Bickley, and will take questions from the audience. The event is co-hosted by Sister Cities of Durham, Inc., and The Regulator Bookshop will be on hand so that you can purchase a copy of the book for Dr. Austin to sign.

It will be a great way to cap off Durham Reads Together 2009.