The Library of Congress has approved a proposal for a Nevada Center for the Book that will be affiliated with the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress.
The new center will be located at the Nevada State Library and Archives in Carson City. The coordinator will be Martha Gould, vice chair of the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science and former director of the Washoe County Library. Bonnie J. Buckley, head of Planning and Development, will be the principal liaison for the Nevada State Library and Archives.
"We're delighted to welcome Nevada to our growing network of affiliated state centers," said John Y. Cole, director of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. "The Nevada Center for the Book is the result of three years of discussion and planning, and we are eager to begin promoting books and reading throughout Nevada."
"A key purpose of the Nevada Center for the Book is to promote Nevada's unique literary heritage," said Joan G. Kerschner, director of the Department of Museums, Library and Arts. "The center's projects will complement existing programs and help unify Nevada's book community."
Programs being developed for the new center's first year include participation in the annual Nevada Day celebration, in partnership with the Nevada Women's History Project; the development and publication of two literary maps; and, with the Nevada Humanities Council, sponsorship of the annual Great Basin Book Festival.
For information about the Nevada Center for the Book, contact Martha Gould, 1690 W. Sixth St., Reno NV 89503, telephone/fax (702) 747-0777, e-mail: mgould@powernet.net.
Affiliations with Six State Centers Renewed
Center for the Book director John Y. Cole has announced that renewal applications from six state centers -- Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana and Vermont -- have been approved for the period 1998-2000. "Every three years, each state center must apply for continuation of its affiliate status," Mr. Cole said. "The proposal is accompanied by a summary of the activities during the past three years and a description of what is being planned. The process is useful for both the national center and the state center, for it frequently leads to new arrangements or projects that bring new vigor to a state's book and reading promotion activities."
The first state centers, Florida (1984) and Illinois (1985) are still active. Currently 35 states have statewide centers affiliated with the LC Center for the Book; most of the state centers are located in state libraries or in large public library systems. Through the years, by mutual agreement, four state centers (Iowa, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island) have become "inactive" and are no longer part of the state center network.
State Centers to Meet at LC on May 4
The annual state center "idea exchange" will be held at the Library of Congress on Monday, May 4, the day before Library Legislative Day. "This day belongs to the state centers," said Center for the Book Program Officer Maurvene D. Williams. "They set the agenda and lead the discussions, which focus on organizational issues [in the morning] and programming issues and ideas [in the afternoon]. We also will be presenting the 1998 Boorstin Awards to two state centers -- one for contributions to the national network, the other for an innovative state project."
Guidelines for Establishing State Centers for the Book
State centers for the book work with the Library of Congress to promote books, reading, literacy, libraries and the state's literary heritage.
- The initiative for creating a center must come from the state. The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress will provide guidance, but funding, staffing and programming are responsibilities of each state center.
- The state library should be closely involved with the center. If the center is not to be located at the state library, the state library should serve as a major partner.
- The activities of a state center in promoting books, reading and libraries are more important than its location. The state center should not promote, or appear to promote, any single library.
- A state center should be truly statewide in its governance, support and activities. Its creation should help unify a state's book community, bringing authors and readers together. Its activities should reinforce and strengthen the work of other organizations. State centers should not compete, or appear to compete, with other organizations.
- A statewide advisory board is needed, along with a designated coordinator.
Once granted, the initial affiliation between a state center and the LC Center for the Book lasts three years. State centers must formally request each three-year renewal.
Maryland Holds "Evening in the Stacks" Benefit
The Washington Post was the principal sponsor on Feb. 28 of "Evening in the Stacks," a "Literary Party with Pizzazz" that benefited the Maryland Center for the Book and Howard County Library. The lively evening of jazz, poetry and readings from Maryland authors was held in Columbia, Md. at the East Columbia Branch of the Howard County Library. Program Officer Maurvene D. Williams represented the LC Center for the Book and introduced the three featured poets: E. Ethelbert Miller, Ana Maria Codas and Felicia Morgenstern.
The Maryland Center for the Book at the Howard County Library was established in 1996 "to bring the world of ideas fostered in books into the thoughts and lives of Marylanders." Current projects include "Write from Maryland," a showcase of area authors and their latest books; and "Letters About Literature," a national writing contest for K-12 students. For more information, contact Pat Bates, Maryland Center for the Book, Howard County Library, 6600 Cradlerock Way, Columbia MD 21045, telephone (410) 313-7768, fax: (410) 313-7742, e-mail: batesp@ nitnoi.howa.lib.md.us.
John Cole chats with Georgia Center for the Book Executive Director Anne Johnson and board members poet and writer Tony Grooms and Stanley Lindberg, editor of The Georgia Review.
Georgia Launches Activities
Center for the Book Director John Y. Cole was a special guest on Jan. 22 at the DeKalb County Public Library in Decatur, Ga., during the first meeting of the Georgia Center for the Book's Advisory Council. Following greetings by library director Darro C. Willey and Georgia Center for the Book Executive Director Anne J. Johnson, the 16-member council, which includes writers, teachers, book sellers and publishers, developed plans for the center's first programs. DeKalb County Chief Executive Officer Liane Levetan presented remarks at a reception following the meeting.
