There's More to the Story

 

 

April means spring, glorious spring! It's also when we celebrate National Poetry Month AND National Library Week.

National Library Week is an annual celebration highlighting the valuable role libraries, librarians, and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening our communities. This year's theme is "There's More to the Story."

Libraries are full of stories in various formats, from picture books to large print, audiobooks to ebooks, and more. But there's so much more to the story. Libraries of Things lend items like nature backpacks. Library programming brings communities together for entertainment, education, and connection through book clubs, storytimes, crafting classes, and lectures. Library infrastructure advances communities, providing internet and technology access, literacy skills, and support for businesses, job seekers, and entrepreneurs.

Why a National Library Week?

In the mid-1950s, research showed that Americans were spending less on books and more on radios, televisions and musical instruments. Concerned that Americans were reading less, the ALA and the American Book Publishers formed a nonprofit citizens organization called the National Book Committee in 1954. The committee's goals were ambitious. They ranged from "encouraging people to read in their increasing leisure time" to "improving incomes and health" and "developing strong and happy family life."

In 1957, the committee developed a plan for National Library Week based on the idea that once people were motivated to read, they would support and use libraries. With the cooperation of ALA and with help from the Advertising Council, the first National Library Week was observed in 1958 with the theme "Wake Up and Read!" The 2023 celebration marks the 65th anniversary of the first event.

And yes, people are still worrying about how little Americans read. We'll let you in on a secret. Reading books and magazines on your phone is still reading. And you can still come to the library to grab a physical book, DVD, or magazine if you prefer.

Visit your library this month, and, to quote Paul Harvey, learn the "rest of the story." And be sure you participate in our Spinal Free Verse program, celebrating library and poetry month. You create a poem or short narrative out of book titles, April 25 & 26. No registration, just drop in!

 

Posted by Kelly McBride Delph

 

Connect With Your Library

National Library Week is April 3 through 9. The theme this year is Connect With Your Library. Our Russell County Public Library calendar is full of events for April. We have given you a reason to connect (or re-connect) with your library almost every day!

We are very excited about the talk The Face of America: One Woman’s (and Her Family’s) Adventures as an American Diplomat. On April 14, Rose Likins, a retired U.S. State Department diplomat, will share stories from her years stationed in Latin America and her experience raising kids abroad. Ms. Likins is presently Library Director at Smyth County Public Library. Please join us for this talk at 6:30 pm at the Lebanon Library.

A Cup and A Conversation is a new weekly adult program. Each Thursday at Lebanon from 10 am to noon we welcome adults to drop by and have a cup of coffee. You can work on a puzzle, play cards or just chat. Action Tables are another opportunity to talk about how to put your values into action; this program expands on the Values Tables from earlier this year. Action Tables meet at 1 pm on Mondays at Honaker and Fridays at Lebanon. 

Paracord, book art, collage, and crochet are some of the crafts we feature at our libraries this month. You can drop in and learn or grab a bag of supplies and take it home. Connect with Crafts is at 4 pm on Mondays at Honaker and Tuesdays at Lebanon. 

We Demand: Women's Suffrage in Virginia is a free exhibition at Lebanon Library from March 29 through May 3. This traveling exhibition comes to us from the Library of Virginia and is an excellent opportunity to learn more about Virginia history. On April 20 at 7 pm, Brent Tarter, Barbara Babson, and Mari Julienne will discuss their book The Campaign for Woman Suffrage in Virginia via Zoom. We can send you a link to the Zoom meeting, or you can watch it in the Lebanon Library. 

Spring is here, and Covid is fading (mostly), so come in and pick up a book or a magazine, try a new craft, or listen to a talk, but most importantly, connect.

Posted by Kelly McBride Delph

Libraries Lead

Where does the Library lead you? 

National Library Week: Libraries Lead

Comment here or on our Facebook page. If we have led you somewhere, or to something, let us know.

We want to hear what you have to say because "Libraries Lead" is the theme of National Library Week, April 8-14, 2018. We want to be an integral part of our community.

Are we leading? Or are we following?

In an effort to lead you back to the library, we are offering to let patrons work off their fines. We want you to use your local library and we don't want fines to be an impediment!
During the month of April, you can come by the library and read off your fines ($1 per hour spent reading in the library) or you can check out and return books ($1 per book.)

Why this elaborate plan? It takes several weeks and some practice to develop a new habit. We want that habit to be visiting your public library.

Whatever entertains you--music, film, magazines, books--we can probably find it at your library.

Learn something new...learn to play chess on the first Saturday in Lebanon or learn to crochet every Thursday (Lebanon) or Friday (Honaker.)

Or just have fun with science! Mad Science for Adults (and youth) will blasting rockets and creating explosions April 9, 3-5 p.m., at Honaker and April 10, 5-7 p.m., at Lebanon.