DPNR CELEBRATES National Library Week April 12-18th

Commissioner Designee, Dawn L. Henry, Esq. of the Department of Planning and Natural Resources is pleased to announce that the Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums is celebrating the Week of the Young Child and National Library Week throughout the Territory during April 12-18, 2015. 
 
Nationwide the week highlights the changing role of libraries, librarians and library workers. This year’s theme is “Unlimited Possibilities @Your Library.”   “Libraries today are more than repositories for books and other resources. Often the heart of their communities, campuses or schools, libraries are deeply committed to the places where their patrons live, work and study,” said Dawn L. Henry, Esq., Commissioner Designee.
 
Libraries today are more than warehouses for books. Instead, libraries and librarians are change agents within their communities – transforming lives through innovative educational resources and forward-thinking programming. Libraries are doing their part to close the digital divide and level the playing field by providing free access to information and technologies that many in their communities would be hard pressed to find elsewhere.
 
“The library has always been a place of unlimited possibilities”, “libraries have grown and evolved in how they provide for the needs of every member of their community even with the economic downturn,”  “Whatever your interest or need, the library is a great start to finding answers to questions, exploring the world and accessing information on the Internet,” said Ingrid Bough, Territorial Director of Libraries, Archives and Museums.
 
Thursday, April 16th
St. John – Gifft Hill School Story Hour at the Elaine Sprauve Public Library 10:30a.m and 11:30am.

Under the auspices of the Library of Congress’ National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, the Regional Library delivers critical services and assistive devices to special needs patrons of all ages territory-wide.  The Regional Library provides audiotaped books and cassettes free of charge and more recently the Library has transitioned to the digital age with the introduction of digital players and books under the Braille and Audio Reading Download (BARD) program and the BARD Mobile app.
 
“Libraries today are more than repositories for books and other resources. Often the heart of their communities, campuses or schools, libraries are deeply committed to the places where their patrons live, work and study,” said Alicia V. Barnes, Commissioner.
 
Territory-wide, book amnesty will be a key incentive at the public libraries during the week!  Library patrons are encouraged to return their overdue books and have the accrued fines waived.  Lost book fines, however, are excluded from book amnesty week.
 
First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April.  For more information, contact the Charles W. Turnbull Public Library on St. Thomas at 774-0630, the Florence Williams Public Library at 773-5715, the Athalie Petersen Public Libraries at 772-0315 and the Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped at 718-2250 on St. Croix or the Elaine I. Sprauve Public Library at 776-6359. Visit the public library’s website at www.virginislandspubliclibraries.org for a calendar of events, or more information.   ​