One Book One Lincoln

One Book One Lincoln brings the community together through a shared reading experience, encouraging conversation and connection around one selected book each year. Now in its 25th year, the program features author events, book discussions and related programs throughout the community.

Celebrating 25 years of One Book One Lincoln

The 2026 One Book One Lincoln Selection

Culpability by Bruce Holsinger

About Culpability

When the Cassidy-Shaw family experiences a devastating accident in their autonomous car, the five family members are forced to confront questions of responsibility, accountability and trust. During a weekend getaway, Noah becomes suspicious of his wife’s relationship with their tech-mogul neighbor, while the family struggles with the fallout from the crash.

Set in a world shaped by AI, chatbots, self-driving cars and autonomous drones, Culpability is a suspenseful family drama that explores how technology can complicate questions of responsibility and the choices we make.

Explore the Ideas in Culpability

For more information about artificial intelligence, ethics and autonomous technology, explore these resources:

Animated explanation of AI Ethics
Global standard on AI Ethics
Vehicles That Are Almost Self-Driving
The Future of AI

One Book One Lincoln 2026 Programming

Upcoming Programs

One Book One Lincoln Book Club at The Mill: There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak
7 p.m.
Tuesday, November 24
The Mill at Telegraph

Past Programs

One Book One Lincoln: The Names by Florence Knapp Discussion and Craft
Tuesday, August 25
6:30 p.m.
Walt Branch Library

One Book One Lincoln: Artificial Intelligence: Excited or Apprehensive?
Wednesday, September 9
6 p.m.
Gere Branch Library

One Book One Lincoln Book Club at The Mill: Culpability by Bruce Holsinger
Tuesday, September 22
7 p.m.
The Mill at Telegraph

One Book One Lincoln: Explore History Through Cuneiform
2 to 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 4
Bennett Martin Public Library

An Evening with Bruce Holsinger
7 p.m.
Tuesday, October 20
Lincoln High School Auditorium

One Book One Lincoln Book Club at The Mill: The Names by Florence Knapp
7 p.m.
Tuesday, October 27
The Mill at Telegraph

The 2026 Top 10 Finalists

Here are videos about all the top 10 finalists for the 2026 program!

25th Anniversary Reading Challenge

One Book One Lincoln is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and we’re marking the occasion with a special reading challenge that looks back at the stories our community has shared over the years.

Through November 30, you’re invited to take part in the One Book One Lincoln Bingo Reading Challenge in Beanstack. Revisit past One Book One Lincoln finalists, discover titles you may have missed, and see how many you can complete.

How the challenge works:

Read one finalist from each year listed on your Bingo card
In Beanstack, each year has its own activity with listed titles — when you read a book from that year, mark the activity complete
Complete a Bingo (any row, column, or diagonal) to be entered to win one of three OBOL-themed prize packages
For an extra challenge, try reading a finalist from all 24 previous OBOL seasons for a full-card Bingo

One Book One Lincoln is a community reading project that brings adults across Lincoln and Lancaster County together through a shared book and shared conversation. This 25th anniversary challenge is a chance to revisit that tradition, one book at a time.

Join the challenge and start tracking your progress in Beanstack:
https://lincolnlibraries.beanstack.org/reader365

Nominate a Book

Nominate titles for consideration for One Book One Lincoln! Nominations are accepted all year.

Volunteer for One Book One Lincoln!

Would you like to play a part in choosing next year’s One Book One Lincoln finalists?

Applications to be part of the Selection Committee are accepted on a rolling basis and can be submitted at any time, but the deadline for applying to be part of the Committee for 2027 is December 31, 2026, so apply now!