Each month we’ll bring you a compiled list of fun national holidays, birthdays of authors, and publication dates of favorite books. You can use these for your own personal use or for some library inspiration! Share what inspired you in the comments.
April is Records and Information Management Month! Plus, April 8-14th is Library Week! Other fun things to celebrate in April:
I had never heard of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and found it on a booklist that recommended positive, upbeat books and am definitely enjoying it so far! I had it on hold at the library and the woman in line next to me got very excited when she saw the title and soon all of us at the desk were chatting about the book, so it does come highly recommended 🙂
The book takes place after World War II and is all correspondence between the characters. The main character is an author named Juliet and her letters are funny and descriptive, and make you wish you knew her in real life. Learning about the challenges in London and Britain itself after the war is definitely interesting as well. Juliet enters into correspondence with a male book-lover who is a farmer on the island of Guernsey, and through him she learns about the The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society which began during the German occupation of the island. It is a quick, enjoyable read and I’m trying to make it last as long as I can!
January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb….
As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.”
Join us this Wednesday to celebrate women authors, books with strong female characters, and books about/by inspiring women! It’s the perfect way to wrap up Women’s History Month.
Stop by our Headquarters (570 1st Street SE, St. Cloud, MN 56304) WEDNESDAY March 28 from 11 to 1. Bring a lunch. Enjoy a snack we provide. Bring a book to share, and enjoy all the fun books we will provide to browse!
Want to get a head start on reading about some interesting women? Below are some lists full of suggestions. Feel free to bring your old/new favorites along to the event to share with us!
Joining us in our book sharing fun will be Office Dog Lady Grey. Come have a snack, hang out with Lady, and chat about books! Hope you can join us!
Library science is an enormous field, home to every interest you could imagine! This means that there are many organizations out there for you to join, in order to connect with other people who share your professional interests.
So even if you work alone in your library, there are other people out there doing work similar to yours! Each week we will highlight a different library association for you to learn more about, and depending on your work, potentially join! You can also check out our page dedicated to Library Associations.
This week we’ll learn about the Polish American Librarians’ Association (PALA). This organization’s mission is to “positively impact services provided to library patrons of Polish descent and individuals interested in Polish culture.”
PALA is having their annual meeting on April 28th in Chicago. The agenda includes a speaker on ALA’s role in reconstructing Polish libraries after WWII, a panel discussion on the 100th anniversary of Poland’s independence, and a preview of a new documentary.
Their website has a great list of resources to help with Collection Development, targeted at “non-Polish speaking librarians responsible for Polish language collections at public libraries.” The list includes classic works of Polish literature, winners of the Nike Literary Award (the Polish Pulitzer Prize), and a helpful list of notable/popular Polish authors.
Their site also has an awesome Programming page that lists ideas and examples of ways to include Polish programming at your own library, particularly in the month of October which is Polish Heritage Month. Some of these ideas include inviting a folk dance group to perform at your library, hosting a traditional Polish folk art workshop, or inviting a Polish restaurant/bakery in for a cooking demonstration of favorite Polish foods.
If you’d like more information about PALA, check out their FAQ page. And no, it’s not required to be of Polish descent to become a member! Get more membership information from their page.
We had a great time last month with our African American Read-In event and thought we’d do it again this month with a Women’s History Month Read-In! Join us to celebrate women authors, books with strong female characters, and books about/by inspiring women!
Come by our Headquarters (570 1st Street SE, St. Cloud, MN 56304) WEDNESDAY March 28 from 11 to 1. Bring a lunch. Enjoy a snack we provide. Bring a book to share, and enjoy all the fun books we will provide to browse!
It’s not required, but Office Dog Lady Grey is a very good listener, so if you are feeling extra excited and want to share your book with an appreciative audience, she will be all ears!
Members, library friends, well-wishers – we would like to share books with all of you!!
Celebrate Women’s History Month in the best way possible: with lots of good books!
