Library Week showcases contributions of libraries
The Ina Dillard Russell Library at Georgia College & State University joined with other states to participate in National Library Month last week.
The theme, “There is Something for Everyone at your Library,” included many events, but focused primarily around two events on April 12 known as a “A Day for Libraries,” A Local History and Genealogy workshop at the GC&SU library and a celebrity reading at the Mary Vinson Memorial Library.
The Local History and Genealogy Workshop was a collaboration between the GC&SU library and the Twin Lakes Regional Library System. It was held in the GC&SU Library Collections and included local and state newspapers and their indexes, census records, and resources available online through GALILEO, including materials in the Digital Library of Georgia.
The reading was held at the Mary Vinson Memorial Library and featured well-known community members, including Baldwin County Sheriff Bill Massee, the Reverend Omer Reid of Flagg Chapel Baptist Church, Dr. Cheryl Wingate, a doctor of obstetrics and gynecology, and David Muschell, associate professor of English at GC&SU.
The reading was for children and Muschell read a children’s book called Mailing May.
Muschell said he doesn’t see himself as a celebrity, but he was asked by the assistant director of Mary Vinson Memorial Library, and agreed to read because it was for a good cause.
“This was the first time the Mary Vinson Library and the GC&SU library have done anything like this, and I thought it was a great idea to encourage reading, especially among the very young,” Muschell said. “When I was a very young boy, I began visiting the library regularly, checking out as many books as I could, reading them, returning them and checking out more. It was so great to know there was a place where I could get free books since I loved reading so much. As I grew older, the library became important for other reasons: school assignments, my own personal research projects and reading for pleasure, too. Now, as a teacher, the library is essential to my work. Libraries are a vital part of our culture.”
Library Week is a time to celebrate the contributions of libraries, librarians and library workers to their schools, campuses and communities, said Meggie Nelson, GC&SU library reference and instruction graduate assistant.
“The celebration encourages all citizens to take advantage of the wonderful resources available through the library,” she said. “This year’s theme encourages people to understand the vital role that libraries play in providing millions of people with the resources they need to live, learn, and work in the 21st century.” National Library Week is sponsored by the American Library Association and is designed to remind the public that today’s libraries are dynamic, modern community centers for learning, information and entertainment.
This year marks the fifth year of The Campaign for America’s Libraries, a multi-year education campaign sponsored by the American Library Association and libraries across the nation. More than 20,000 libraries in all 50 states are being reached by At Your Library, The Campaign for America’s Libraries.
According to the American Library Association, the campaign intends to increase awareness about the vibrancy and value of today’s libraries. The public education effort is a response to research that shows that while libraries are popular, they are often taken for granted. Research also indicates that while libraries are rooted in nearly every community, in schools, campuses and businesses across the country, they are not often visible. The campaign is to showcase public, school, academic and special libraries nationwide.
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Apr 22 2005. Filed under Other.
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