Bryan College senior Ashley Felker reads in the Shakespeare Garden at the Bryan College Library. Photo by Allison McLean.
by Allison McLean
“If you have a garden and a library, you have all you need,” a quote by Cicero reads on the plasma screen at the entrance of the Bryan College Library (Dayton, Tenn.). This library happens to have both.
All dressed up in balloons and “READ” posters, the Bryan College Library celebrates National Library Week with events and decorations meant to highlight the same importance that Cicero asserted.
In honor of National Library Week, the library staff held events such as a week-long “People Book” series, nightly dramatic readings of pieces of literature such as Mark Twain’s “The Diaries of Adam and Eve” and library-related trivia contests.
Balloons in the Bryan College Library for National Library Week. Photo by Allison McLean.
National Library Week is “an annual celebration” of the vital role that libraries play in the United States. It was begun in 1958 by the American Library Association (ALA) to raise public awareness of the services and significance of libraries across the nation.
“Libraries are an important part of a democracy because it’s important for democracies to have an informed citizen, and library’s are a source of free information,” said the Bryan College Library Director Gary Fitsimmons.
Fitsimmons added, “They’ve been called the poor man’s university.”
Periodicals in the Bryan College Library. Photo by Allison McLean.
From academic libraries to public, they not only allow patrons to check out books but also provide services—such as free internet, classes, tutoring services, community meeting centers and many other
According to Audrey Pack Memorial Library Director Aliceann McCabe, libraries’ primary role is to be a free source of both general and specialized information for the public.
Rhea County citizen John Dotson said that the library has helped him find employment. He recently lost his job after losing both his legs in a work-related accident, and the free services of the library have aided him in his search for a new job.
Libraries provide vital services to the community, and the ALA partnering with many libraries across the nation hope that celebratory events for National Library Week will showcase their vital offerings to society.
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One of the events that the Bryan College Library held in honor of National Library Week was their People Books daily event. ‘People Books’ is a program to help students get to know the faculty and staff at Bryan College by asking the People Book authors about the titles that the authors created, which feature something significant about themselves. This video features People Book author Jody Cheon in her People Book ‘Daughter of a Traveling Yo-yo Man.’
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Other libraries in Rhea County, Tenn., where Bryan College is located did not as active a part in National Libary Week. Listen to find out why:
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Relevant Links:
American Library Association: National Library Week
I would have to agree. Libraries and gardens both rock my world.
update already…