Film, expression, and community at Yakima Valley Regional Library

Yakima Valley Regional Library’s motto, “Connecting People and ideas,” is not only provocative, but particularly apt when describing their September Project event. If you’re in the area, check it out!

This year we will be showing the PBS film “Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience.” We have invited the public to share letters, poems, and e-mails from current or past wars. A local poet will moderate. This program will be held in the evening of Sept. 11.

For more information download their flyer.

updated: their flyer has been translated into spanish.

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community collaborations at aberdeen timberland library

some september project libraries highlight materials that relate to issues that matter like peace. some september project libraries work with various civic institutions to provide civic education. and some libraries, like aberdeen timberland library, do both.

we recently heard from thirza krohn, senior/adult services librarian at aberdeen timberland library, and they’ve planned some excellent september project events:

We first collected what we had locally [books, videos, dvds, children’s books in English and Spanish, etc.] on the broad and important subject of PEACE.

We were later contacted by the local community hospital, who asked us to be in touch with the County Emergency Preparedness Agency because September was Emergency Preparedness Month. They are providing handouts which they would like us to distribute; and they want us to support their display with our books. Cooperating with the hospital and the county for Emergency Preparedness sounded like a very good idea to us. Our librarian then took the idea to the City Council meeting and the Aberdeen City Fire Chief has provided us with information to distribute as well. This display is now a collaborative effort among the Aberdeen Timberland Library, the Grays Harbor Community Hospital, the county of Grays Harbor Emergency Management Department, and the city of Aberdeen. We are very pleased to join with these agencies in promoting emergency preparedness.

We felt that both these displays would be appropriate for The September Project. They will be on display beginning next week.

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a conference in athens

professor emmanuel j. yannakoudakis (department of informatics, athens university of economics and business), professor taso lagos (department of communication, university of washington), and university of washington students studying abroad in greece are organizing a conference for their september project. the conference will take place in the main hall of athens university of economics and business (in english) on september 21. i hope the organizers will keep us updated!

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author readings at seattle public library

on september 23rd, 24th, and 25th, seattle public library brings mountain climber turned humanitarian greg mortenson to town for a series of author readings and discussions. readings take place at three libraries – beacon hill branch, douglass-truth branch, and green lake branch – and at town hall seattle.

mortenson will share his experiences building more than fifty schools in remote parts of pakistan and afghanistan and read from his book, three cups of tea: one man’s mission to promote peace … one school at a time, co-authored with david oliver relin. the book won this year’s kiriyama prize for nonfiction.

this program is part of the seattle public library’s 2007 september project and is presented in cooperation with elliott bay book company and the kiriyama prize. for more information, contact chris higashi.

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