Library of Congress to Unveil Young Readers Center
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By Rocco Staino -- School Library Journal, 10/12/2009
John Russell Young, the Librarian of Congress from 1897 to 1899, is finally having his dream come true—an area of the Library of Congress is being set aside for kids.
The Young Readers Center will officially open to the public on October 23, but School Library Journal was given a sneak preview by Jane Gilchrist, who will oversee the operation of the first area devoted to children in the library’s 209-year history.
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Jane Gilchrist will oversee the operation of the first area devoted to children in the library’s 209 year history. |
“Children have many libraries in their lives,” says Gilchrist. “And this room makes the Library of Congress another library in their lives.”
The creation of this cozy center, where the average visit lasts about 20 minutes, was the brainchild of Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-South Florida), who says she pushed for the room because she was surprised that she couldn’t find any place to sit and read with her children when they visited. The center will also serve as a showcase for projects by the Center for the Book that promote reading and literacy among young people, such as the Letters About Literature Contest.
The Young Readers Center currently has about 800 books—including Harry Potter in Braile, books in foreign languages including Albanian and graphic novels—mostly donated by publishers or gathered from the library’s duplicate and exchange department. The center’s first official opening will take place Friday, Oct. 23, at 3:30 p.m., and will be presided over by Librarian of Congress James H. Billington and Wasserman Schultz. Author M. T. Anderson is the special guest.
View more pictures of the Library of Congress Young Readers Center here.
