Kevin Starr -- historian, journalist and state librarian of California -- will speak on "California Libraries, Culture and Dreams" at 6 p.m. on March 27 in the Mumford Room in the Library's Madison Building. Sponsored by the Center for the Book, Dr. Starr's talk is free and open to the public.
"We are fortunate to have Kevin Starr as a speaker in our series of programs about libraries and American culture," said Center for the Book Director John Y. Cole. "His prodigious historical knowledge of California and practical experience as a writer and library administrator give him a unique perspective on our topic."
Kevin Starr is probably best known for his ambitious, multi- olume cultural history of California. Published by Oxford University Press, the books thus far are: Americans and the California Dream, 1850-1915 (1973); Inventing the Dream: California Through the Progressive Era (1985); Material Dreams: Southern California Through the 1920s (1990); and Endangered Dreams: The Great Depression in California (1996).
Dr. Starr was appointed state librarian by Gov. Pete Wilson in 1994. He served as city librarian of San Francisco in 1973-76. He currently divides his time between his home in San Francisco, the State Library in Sacramento and Los Angeles, where he is a professor in the School of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Southern California.
He was a daily columnist for the San Francisco Examiner from 1977 to 1983 and currently is a contributing editor for the Los Angeles Times. He received a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1969 and a Master of Library Science degree from the University of California in 1974.
The lecture is cosponsored by the California Center for the Book, which promotes California's literary heritage through symposia, projects, and publications.
For information, write or call Vickie Lockhart, California Center for the Book, 1225 Eighth St., Suite 345, Sacramento, CA 95814, (916) 447-6331.
Arizona Center for the Book to Host Robert Hass. The Library of Congress's eighth Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry, Robert Hass, will read from his poetry on Sunday, March 24, in Phoenix at a program sponsored by the Arizona Center for the Book. The event, which is open to the public, will take place at 3 p.m. at the Wrigley Conference Center, 6001 24th St. For information and reservations, call (602) 265-2651.
"Robert Hass is the first Poet Laureate from a Western state," said Phyllis Steckler, president of the Arizona Center for the Book and of Phoenix-based Oryx Press. "It's appropriate that he be honored here in Arizona, and we're very excited by the prospect."
Mr. Hass's appearance is part of the "Feast for the Mind" Authors Series sponsored by the Arizona center, which is one of the 30 state affiliates of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. Established in 1988, the Arizona Center for the Book's purpose is to stimulate public interest in books, reading, libraries and literacy. It is a nonprofit organization with a volunteer board of directors that funds its projects through contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations.
Center for the Book Hosts NCLIS Anniversary Celebration. The 25th anniversary of the U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) was celebrated in the Library's Madison Hall on Dec. 14, at a reception cosponsored by NCLIS and the Center for the Book. Speakers included Librarian of Congress James H. Billington, who saluted NCLIS and its accomplishments; NCLIS Chairperson Jeanne Hurley Simon; Lt. Gen. C.M. Kicklighter, deputy undersecretary of the Army for International Affairs; Betty Turock, president of the American Library Association; NCLIS Commissioner Barbara J.H. Taylor; and Center for the Book Director John Y. Cole.
The 125 guests included two new commissioners, Abe Abramson and Walter Anderson, and former NCLIS commissioners Charles Benton, Elinor Hashim, Charles Reid, Lee Edwards, Elinor M. Swaim, and William J. Welsh, former Deputy Librarian of Congress, who represented Librarian of Congress Emeritus Daniel J. Boorstin on the commission.
In his remarks, Dr. Billington recognized Winston Tabb, who currently represents him on the commission. NCLIS Chairperson Jeanne Simon acknowledged the contributions of Executive Director Peter Young and paid a tribute to three former commissioners who died in 1995: Joseph Becker, Daniel Casey and Bessie Boehm Moore, "who persuaded, cajoled, threatened and led us to do some of our best work.
John Cole said the Center for the Book was pleased to cosponsor its third NCLIS anniversary reception. The other celebrations took place on Nov. 18, 1986, marking NCLIS's 15th birthday, and on Jan. 23, 1991, when First lady Barbara Bush received NCLIS's Twentieth Anniversary Recognition Award at a program in the Library's Montpelier Room.
First Illinois Book Fair Held. More than 3,000 book lovers and 75 Illinois authors were honored on Nov. 17 and 18, 1995, at the Illinois Center for the Book's "Illinois Authors Literary Dinner and Book Fair" in Springfield. Cosponsored with the Illinois State Library, the event featured book signings, readings, storytelling, panel discussions, exhibits and celebrity appearances. The proceeds are being used to enlarge the State Library's Illinois Authors Collection.
"We were thrilled with this year's event and invite everyone to join us on Oct. 18 and 19, 1996, for next year's Book Fair," said Bridget L. Lamont, director of the Illinois State Library.
Ms. Lamont was one of the speakers at the dinner on Nov. 17, along with Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian George H. Ryan, and John W. Berry, president of the Illinois Center for the Book and an associate professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. In his remarks, Mr. Berry thanked the Book Fair's 20 corporate sponsors, particularly Ameritech, the major sponsor, and paid tribute to John Ison, the previous head of the Illinois center, "for four years of extraordinary service and leadership."
He thanked the many Illinois authors who took time to become involved in the Book Fair. In closing, he quickly reviewed the other reading promotion activities of the Illinois Center for the Book, which is embarking on its second decade of promoting the book culture and authors of Illinois.
For example, last year Governor Jim Edgar proclaimed October 1995 as "Read Illinois" month.
His proclamation recognized the role of the Illinois Center for the Book in promoting the state's literary heritage, mentioning in particular the authors Carl Sandburg, Ernest Hemingway, Edgar Lee Masters, Vachel Lindsay and John Dos Passos. Mr. Berry also described how the Illinois Center for the Book, in cooperation with the University of Illinois Press, is publishing Prairie State Books, a series of reprints of classic Illinois books. He also described the colorful new poster featuring 113 Illinois authors that the Illinois center recently published.
For information about obtaining the poster and the activities of the Illinois Center for the Book, which are described in the center's newsletter, News & Views, write or call the Friends of the Illinois Center for the Book, 300 S. Second St., Springfield,IL 62701, (217) 524-8835. For information about Prairie State Books, write or call the University of Illinois Press, 1325 South Oak Street, Champaign, IL 61820, (800) 545- 4703.
