Book Week
Children’s Book Week originated from early 1900 in the belief that children’s books and literacy are life-changers. Reading books provides new experiences, awareness-building about the world outside the home; improves communication, building a greater vocabulary, speech patterns, and enunciation; improves concentration and story time, providing an ideal incentive to build concentration and a lifetime love of books!
Escape
Currently, the world is very occupied with COVID19. The subject is addressed in newspapers; social media, TV-channels and radio programs; even in your school the main subject is COVID19 and everything that comes with it.
Almost everything is closed or postponed: no sports, movies, in-person classes, birthday parties or sleepovers – BORING. How nice it would be to escape from all of that, to just relax without worries! Is this possible? The answer is YES.
Choose
Your library has a lot of stories to tell. There is a collection of books on the shelves, waiting for you. Just visit your library to borrow the ones of your choice. Being a member gives you access to your digital library. There are new arrivals throughout the year. If you need help accessing the digital library, just contact the library.
The old days
Philipsburg Jubilee Library (PJL) has celebrated Book Week over the years. Going back to our archive, we found annual reports about Book Week every year. In 2002, the theme was “Ay ay Captain”.
That was also the year that different children book authors visited all the schools to read their latest books. Of course, during that celebration, there were balloons and a drum band; a nice party with an official opening. Your parents might remember that Book Week.
Program 2020
Again, COVID-19 forces your library to have a different kind of party. On Monday, October 19, there will be a virtual opening. This year’s Book Week is themed “Anytime, any place and any book”.
Minister of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sports, Drs. Rodolphe Samuel, an educator himself, will open Sint Maarten Book Week 2020. This will be followed by a speech from PJL Director Glenderlin Holiday. There will be musical entertainment from Shabba. All this will be on our website and Facebook at noon.
On Tuesday, October 20, Greta Marlin – one of our well-known, local authors – will read her 2006 book Hoppy Bunny and The Hopping Competition. This will also be on our website and Facebook at noon.
On Wednesday, October 21, there will be a demonstration on how to make a bookmark. Melackia Spencer will guide you via another post on our website and Facebook at noon.
All week will be an open house between 9:00am and 5:00pm. There is a special table for children’s books and, of course, all staffers are ready to assist. A special request was sent to five invited schools to select three students to send in a drawing depicting the theme “Anytime, any place and any book”. Interested students are encouraged to submit selfies that show them reading a book. Book Week lasts until October 23, which does not mean that the reading stops on that date.
New Story House
For the ones that remember the old library building that was destroyed by hurricanes Irma and Maria, you know that your library used to have a lot of space to store all those beautiful and exciting stories hidden in books. The good news is that your library is working on a new building or maybe better – a new story house.
This will not only be the place where books are stored, but, more importantly, a house where the stories happen. It will be a house full of history, arts, culture, knowledge, and presented as an experience. PJL hopes to combine the opening of that story house with the celebration of its centennial jubilee on November 23, 2023.
Your court
The initiative is in your court now. Come visit the library to become a member, select and borrow some books, follow our social media posts, download your favourite eBook, and most of all, allow yourself to escape and enjoy your stories.
Visit PJL at Walter J.A. Nisbeth Road #3 (above Adolphus Richardson), call 542-2970, or find PJL online @stmaartenlibrary.org, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Twitter@sxmlibrary.
