Librarians promote reading by participating in World Book Night

CHICAGO — Librarians are helping to spread the joy and love of reading by taking part in World Book Night on April 23.

Held in the United States, as well as the U.K. and Ireland, the initiative aims at promoting the value of reading, printed books, bookstores and libraries to everyone year round.

World Book Night seeks out reluctant adult readers wherever they are, in towns and cities and in such public settings as nursing homes, food pantries, low income schools and mass transit centers, according to organizers.

Tens of thousands of volunteers will hand out copies of 30 specially chosen and printed World Book Night editions in their communities. The volunteers will visit safe, well-populated public areas or indoor settings.

World Book Night U.S. is a nonprofit organization. April 23 is UNESCO’s (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Book Day, chosen to commemorate the anniversary of Cervantes’ death, as well as Shakespeare’s birth and death.

Among the 30 titles on the giveaway list are contemporary classics such as “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou, “The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini, and “The Poisonwood Bible” by Barbara Kingsolver. Popular titles such as “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie and “The Stand” by Stephen King are also being distributed, as well as provocative titles that include “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot and “Just Kids,” the autobiography of counterculture icon Patti Smith. Some young adult books are also included, such as “Because of Winn-Dixie” by Kate DiCamillo.

More than 600 librarians are participating. The American Library Association (ALA) is among the supporters of the event, along with book publishers, the American Booksellers Association, Barnes & Noble, the Association of American Publishers and Ingram Book Distributors.

Among the librarians participating is Alexia Hudson, reference and instruction librarian, Penn State Abington College, Abington, Pa. and incoming member of the ALA Executive Board (2012-2015).

Hudson said, "World Book Night is a wonderfully unique opportunity to elevate importance of literacy by turning it into a 'high-touch' personalized global conversation - in that we will distribute amazing and diverse literary works for free.

"I'm not only giving someone a book but I'm inviting them to engage in a very deep and personal manner with me regarding the title I'm distributing. I hope to be asked 'why this book?' How will it enrich my life, etc.? The ability to place a 'ping' of interest in reading in anyone's life is an incredible opportunity and I'm honored to participate."

With just under two weeks until World Book Night U.S. Director Carl Lennertz announced that the cooperation of the publishing, bookselling, library and book manufacturing communities has resulted in a half million special editions produced for giveaway by 25,000 volunteers on April 23, preceded by a week of activities in hundreds of cities.

The volunteer book givers will be able to pick up their boxes the week before World Book Night, when they will also receive buttons, bookmarks, a guidelines letter, and a Thank You certificate. To facilitate this, more than 750 bookstores and libraries are holding pre-WBN receptions.

“It is cool how this has taken hold across America. There are givers in 5,800 towns and cities, and I am overwhelmed by the their passion, as well as by the booksellers and librarians who have embraced this campaign, some of whom have organized major activities by local groups to complement the outreach by the individual givers,” Lennertz said.

For more information, visit the World Book Night website and its Facebook site.