“Libraries are the heart of their communities.” – American Library Association (ALA)
It’s National Library Week, a time to celebrate the contributions of libraries, librarians and library workers in schools, campuses and communities nationwide. There are a great number of resources on the ALA web page for National Library Week and I recommend that you check it out! And best of all, the wonderful Neil Gaiman is the Honorary Chair!
Those of us in Hawaii know that the State has been hit hard with budget problems, which trickles down and affects the Hawaii State Library System. Hiring freezes, furlough days, and less money for staff and supplies are just some of the results. The best way you can celebrate National Library Week and honor all of the hard work that our libraries and staff provide for us is by visiting and supporting your local library. Constantly borrow books, CDs, DVDs (and return them on time!) to bring up circulation numbers, donate unused (but quality) books or cash, and be sure to attend any number of the fine events the libraries program for the community. In fact, just to show you how awesome they are, the Hawaii State Public Library has scheduled a fantastic lineup of library events in celebration of National Library Week. Everything from slack key guitarists, Chinese folk arts, Taiko drumming ensembles, craft classes and a plethora of unique storytellers will be performing in libraries all across the state. For a list of dates and locations for these programs, just visit the Hawaii State Library’s Programs & Events page and scroll down until you see the following banner:
You can also keep track of these events and more by checking out our Hawaii Book Blog Events Calendar.
Don’t forget that donations, while not the solution (*cough* legislature), are a huge help to any of your local libraries. You can donate directly to the State Library by check—even designating which library you would like your money to go to. More info can be found on the State Library website. The Friends of the Library of Hawaii has always done a great job providing for their local libraries and you can help them (and your libraries) by donating to their organization directly on their website! Even as little as $2 can make a difference.
And what is Hawaii Book Blog doing to celebrate National Library Week?! We are finally returning to one of our greatest projects—our Hawaii Public Library Tour. The write-ups for our Library Tour are long overdue. My sincerest apologies to the kind staff members who were so generous with their time. I feel so guilty for not accomplishing these in a timely manner. In celebration of Library Week, Alex and I decided to get our acts together and catch up on our Library Tour Challenge! Starting on Monday, everyday from the 12th to the 17th we’ll post a library write-up, so hopefully we will make some great strides this week to completing one of our biggest goals.
So in closing, I urge everyone to go out and celebrate Library Week! And be sure to stay tuned with Hawaii Book Blog every day as we’ll have more posts celebrating our wonderful libraries.
