Curtis Memorial Library is using “The Writings on the Wall,” a book by former NBA player and Times magazine columnist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, to start a community dialogue on a variety of topics including race, class and freedom of the press.

“The book covers a lot of different issues and topics that are at the forefront of the news media and concerns today,” said Adult Services Manager Sarah Brown.

The library is partnering with Maine-based organizations and speakers to offer individual conversations on each issue Abdul- Jabbar addresses in the book. Curtis Memorial Library has had community sessions with the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brunswick on the chapter on religion, Brunswick resident and elder law attorney Jackie Sartoris on the chapter on seniors, and executive director of MidCoast Hunger Prevention Program Karen Parker on the chapter on class struggle.

“We want to give each topic its own sort of focused discussions around that chapter,” said Brown. “So we’ve got the different specific deeper conversations about the chapter on racism, which we had a couple of weeks ago, and we have the chapter on seniors tonight.”

The impetus for the series of discussion came from questions and concerns raised by the community at Brunswick’s Human Rights Task Force.

“A lot of these concerns were sort of discussed at the Human Rights Task Force that many of the town councilors are on,” said Brown. “The library saw it as a way to respond to community concerns and get people talking about these issues.”

Earlier this month at The Times Record office in Brunswick, library staff, members of the community and leaders of the paper met to discuss press freedom and the importance of local news outlets. Much of the conversation revolved around how news publications can stay viable and credible in the age of fake news.

“I think the consumers have to actively participate,” said publisher Michelle Lester. “The consumers of news are the only way this can be fixed.”

“Well, I think one thing we can do as an institution is provide people with (fact checking sources),” said Library Director Elisabeth Doucett. “To say things like, ‘if you have a question about that, here are places you can go to check that information.’”

“I think with both newspapers and libraries, the solution lies in having close ties with the community,” said Managing Editor John Swinconeck. “With being a community newspaper, you’re going to get called on (plagiarism or fake news) really quick.”

The final chapter discussion happened recently at Curtis Memorial Library, where professor of sociology at Bowdoin College Nancy Riley led a discussion on gender equality.

Though the individual chapter discussions are now wrapped up, the library will continue to explore themes brought up in Abdul-Jabbar’s book in upcoming events. The next event will be on Thursday, May 25 at 6:30 p.m., when the library will host a book signing and discussion with Reza Jalali, author of “Muslim in America.”

Other upcoming events include a presentation by the Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine on the immigrant experience in Maine and a talk with ACLU of Maine Executive Director Alison Beyea on “How to Protect Civil Liberties and Equal Justice in Maine.”