The Bridgeport Public Library joins libraries the week of April 14th through the 19th in schools, campuses and communities nationwide in celebrating National Library Week, a time to highlight the value of libraries, librarians and library workers. 

 

Libraries today are more than repositories for books and other resources. Often the heart of their communities, campuses or schools, libraries are deeply committed to the places where their patrons live, work and study.  Libraries are trusted places where everyone in the community can gather to reconnect and reengage with each other to enrich and shape the community and address local issues.

 

Librarians work with elected officials, small business owners, students and the public at large to discover what their communities needs are, and meet them.  Whether through offering e-books and technology information, materials for English-language learners, online programs for job seekers or those to support early literacy, librarians listen to the community they serve, and they respond.

 

First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April.

 

At the Bridgeport Public Library, teens are invited to celebrate National Library Week by participating in a Read-A-Thon.  Books will be available for the program and teens may bring a book to the event.  Pizza and snacks will be provided.  All teens between the ages of 13 and 19 are welcome.  This program is scheduled on Monday, April 14th from 4 pm to 8 pm. 

 

Our regular contemporary reading group called Book Talk, is meeting on April 16th at 4 pm.  Contemporary fiction, West Virginia Literature, acclaimed autobiographies, and other notable nonfiction are the categories from which titles are drawn.  This month’s book is “The Daughter’s Walk,” by Jane Kirkpatrick.  New members are enthusiastically welcomed; interested library patrons can call the library and ask for Joanne to learn more.

 

Children’s Book Bingo will be held on Thursday, April 17th, at 6 pm.  Children will use a bingo card with categories from folktales, fairy tales, and legends to play rounds of Book Bingo. 

 

Thursday and Friday, the library begins setting up for our giant spring book sale.  Volunteers are always welcome to help.  We have hundreds of boxes of books and other materials to load onto these tables so mark your calendar for April 21st through the 26th for our annual book sale.

 

National Library Week is also one of two weeks designated every year as fine free.  So take this opportunity to return overdue books and materials including DVDs without charge.