"There's More to the Story": National Library Week 2023

Latest update: Added links to State of the Libraries Report 2023 and Right to Read Day. - gmc 24 April 2023 12:45 PM

I eagerly await National Library Week every year. Ironically, it's almost as old as I am. Most of the following comes from the landing page on the American Library Association's website for National Library Week 2023: 

First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association and libraries of all types (even the special collections ones like the BDC) across the country each April. National Library Week 2023, April 23-29, will be celebrated with the theme "There's More to the Story."

Most people know about the wealth of stories available at the library, from picture books and large print to audiobooks and ebooks. But there's so much more to the story of libraries. 

Libraries are welcoming spaces that bring communities together for entertainment, education, and connection through book clubs, storytimes, movie nights, crafting classes, lectures, and more. Beaufort County Library offers a wide array of programs, classes and resources, including some brought to you by the system's special local history collections and archives unit, the Beaufort District Collection.

Some days within National Library Week highlight specific facets of library services: 

Monday, April 24: State of America's Libraries Report released, including Top Ten Frequently Challenged Books of 2022. It's also "Right to Read Day." 

Tuesday, April 25: National Library Workers Day, a day for library staff, users, administrators, and Friends groups to recognize the valuable contributions made by all library workers.

Wednesday, April 26: National Library Outreach Day (formerly National Bookmobile Day), a day to celebrate library outreach and the dedicated library professionals who are meeting their patrons where they are.

Thursday, April 27: Take Action for Libraries Day, a day to rally advocates to support libraries.

If you haven't checked out Beaufort County Library lately, you're missing the full story. Stop by one of our branch libraries, visit the bookmobile, or set up an appointment to come work inside the Beaufort District Collection Research Room (843-255-6468 or bdc@bcgov.net).  The system is offering a number of programs at the various branches to celebrate. Check out the system calendar for more information. 

I will make some National Library Week posts on the BDC's Facebook page. 

On the final day of National Library Week, the Beloved BDC Docents and I are going to gather together to celebrate them and their individual projects preparing materials of historic value for current and future customers. Because of the limited work space inside the Research Room, they seldom get to see or interact with each other. Some of them are even working on the same project - just on different aspects of it. I want them to see how the pieces fit together and how much I appreciate what they do to help me help preserve and share historical materials about this wonderful place and its people through time. And for the record - the number of BCL's digital collections on the Lowcountry Digital Library would be considerably reduced without the dedication of our docents. Preparation of the Donner Collection, L.A. Hall Civil War and Reconstruction Era Photograph Collection, Civil War and Reconstruction Era Stereoscope Photographs of the Port Royal Region, and the Richard L. Johnson Medical Record Book  digital collections heavily relied on the docents who did the transcriptions, tagging, and digitization. The three projects that I hope to complete before I retire are also heavily dependent on the contributions of the docents: The Wales Journal; the Reed Collection; and the Behan Papers. Work continues on each of these.