Daniel Pierce Library Director

Once again it is the best week of the year for bookworms and library lovers everywhere: National Library Week. The official dates are April 7th to April 13th, 2024. “Ready, Set, Library!” is the theme and the Sullivan County Public Library Alliance (SUPLA) is off to a running start with another installment of the Peck’s Markets fundraiser. From April 1st through the 14th, head over to Peck’s to donate your change and have your signed tag displayed in that store, proudly declaring your love and support for the last free bastion of democracy and egalitarianism: Public Libraries. Donations will go to SUPLA to help fund programs such as the Youth Book Festival, traveling 3-D printers, Poet Laureate programs, and more.

This year, the Honorary Chair of NLW is Meg Medina. Ms. Medina has won the Newbery Award for her book, Merci Suarez Chages Gears, and has an extensive and much decorated catalog of work for younger readers. Ms. Medina says that her favorite thing about libraries is discovering the unexpected and beautiful things they offer (“National Library Week”, 2006). From tech help for seniors to collections of cake pans; From virtual reality headsets to magic shows for children; libraries are always growing, changing, innovating, and serving the public according to its needs. The mission of the library is a noble one. Let’s all show our love!

This NLW, visit your local library and take in all it has to offer. Some offerings around the county include Spencer Investigates the Library: A puppet show celebrating NLW at the Daniel Pierce Library in Grahamsville for UPK – 3rd graders on Wed., April 10th from 3:00 – 4:30 P.M. and registration is required https://danielpiercelibrary.org/. The Daniel Pierce Library will also be raffling off a weekend at Frost Valley! Hurry over to Grahamsville to buy your ticket for this valuable prize. This weekend stay must be used by June 9th. The Livingston Manor Library will have free gifts for anyone who visits during NLW, and visitors may also participate in an Oreo taste-off! Tasters record their favorite flavor on the library’s jumbo chart and can visit https://livingstonmanorlibrary.org/ after April 14th to see whether their favorite won. If you visit Liberty Public Library and check out an item during NLW, you will be entered into a raffle for prizes that will be drawn on Friday April 12. Other special events include Senior Coffee Club on April 8th at 10:30 A.M. with guest speaker Brian Conaty, the Sullivan County District Attorney. There’s something exciting happening every day, so check https://www.libertypubliclibrary.org/ for details!

Libraries are here for everyone, every day of the year. Even when they are closed, their robust online presence serves as bright and cheery “OPEN” sign for research, reading, and exploring from the comfort of home. Head over to Peck’s and say “Thank you” to your library, and then go visit your local one – or a neighboring one! You are certain to leave with a bigger smile on your face than when you entered. The library is a wonderful reminder of our shared humanity and community.

References:

“National Library Week”, American Library Association, November 8, 2006. http://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/natlibraryweek (Accessed March 1, 2024) Document ID: d7c7c6bc-37a2-4944-6d70-f38e67f89e71.