Gordon Honors Libraries with Author Presentation and Read-In on the Quad

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2009

MEDIA CONTACT
Jo Kadlecek
Office of College Communications
978.867.4752
[email protected]

WENHAM, MA–From free books and quality CDs to museum passes and local archives, there’s no shortage of reasons to celebrate libraries. That’s why Gordon College is pleased to sponsor two upcoming events to pay tribute to the many benefits a library provides.

First, partnering with the Hamilton-Wenham Library, Gordon College will host a Community Read with Katherine Paterson, award-winning author of such books as Bridge to Terabithia, Bread and Roses, Too and Jacob Have I Loved. The event, Tuesday, April 7, includes a Meet the Author reception from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Ken Olsen Science Center Loggia. Paterson will then offer a reading from her work and a lecture at 7:30 p.m. in A. J. Gordon Memorial Chapel.

“My grandmother died before I was born, and I’ve always wondered how she felt when she emigrated from Prince Edward Island, Canada, to work in Dewey’s Mills in Quechee, Vermont," said Jan Dempsey, senior librarian of the Hamilton-Wenham Library. "Then, I read Bread and Roses, Too. Katherine Paterson led me through the streets and homes of 1912 factory workers where I found myself in the midst of the labor struggle. We are honored to have her visit us.”

General admission tickets for the Community Read are $10, $5 for students, and may be purchased at the door or online (through the library). Group rates are available; admission is free for Gordon College students, professors and staff.

To celebrate National Library Week, Gordon College will then sponsor the first-ever campus Read-In on the Quad. The public is invited on Thursday, April 16, to bring a blanket, lawn chair and favorite book (or two) for a community read from 4:30-6 p.m. in front of Jenks Library.

“Everyday, libraries in cities and towns, colleges and universities, in schools and in businesses help transform their communities,” said Myron Schirer-Suter, director of library services at Gordon. “At our library, students, faculty, staff and neighbors come together for a variety of resources and lectures. This Read-In is our way of celebrating National Library Week and all the contributions of libraries, librarians and library workers in schools, campuses and communities nationwide.

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 on the Read-In on the Quad, contact the Office of College Communications, 978.867.4752. For ticket information for Katherine Paterson, call the Hamilton-Wenham Library at 978.468.5577.

<< BACK