In September, the library will be kicking off its new Reading Expands Your World theme through a variety of Library Card Sign-Up activities. (Photo courtesy of Eureka Public Library)

September is Library Card Sign-Up Month, a time when Eureka Public Library District joins the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries nationwide to remind community members that signing up for a library card is the first step on the path to academic achievement and lifelong learning.

This year, Marley Dias, founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks, author and executive producer, is taking on a new role as honorary chair of Library Card Sign-Up Month. In her new role, Dias will promote the value of libraries and encourage everyone to get their very own library card.

A library card provides free access to books, audiobooks, magazines, movies, television series, puzzles, games, drones, Wi-Fi hotspots, online classes, eBooks, downloadable music, streaming movies, and more. The library also offers everyone access to computers, printers, copier and fax services, Wi-Fi, area newspapers, a book sale room, and free or low-cost educational programs.

Library Card Sign-Up Month isn’t just for new library cardholders, it’s also a great time to renew your library card or update the information on your account.

In September, the library will be kicking off its new Reading Expands Your World theme through a variety of Library Card Sign-Up activities: a photo contest, a coloring sheet for District 140 students, weekly giveaways, and a drawing for a gift basket filled with items from local businesses. All activities are open to new and existing Eureka Public Library cardholders.

To find out how to sign up for a library card or to learn more about the library’s resources and programs, visit www.eurekapl.org.

Reading Expands Your World Photo contest

Eureka Library cardholders of all ages are invited to submit an original piece of photography for the library’s Reading Expands Your World Photo Contest during Library Card Sign-Up Month in September.

Participants are asked to show how reading expands their world in their photo entry and may only submit one entry per person. Entries will be accepted starting Wednesday, Sept. 1 and ending Thursday, Sept. 30.

During those dates, photographs may be dropped off at the adult circulation desk anytime the library is open.

Age groups for the contests will be: child (ages 0 – 12), young adult (ages 13 – 17), adult (ages 18 and older). Photographs will be on display in the library from Oct. 1 until Nov. 1. Winners will be announced on Oct. 15.

There will be one winner per age group for each contest, each receiving a Fujifilm Instax camera. For more information and the full contest rules, visit the website eurekapl.org.

9/11 memorial and education exhibition

Eureka Public Library will participate in “September 11, 2001: The Day That Changed the World,” a downloadable educational exhibition that presents the history of 9/11, its origins, and its ongoing implications through the personal stories of those who witnessed and survived the attacks.

Told across 14 posters, this exhibition includes archival photographs and images of artifacts from the 9/11 Memorial & Museum’s permanent collection. It explores the consequences of terrorism on individual lives and communities at the local, national, and international levels, and encourages critical thinking about the legacies of 9/11.

This 9/11 Memorial & Museum curated exhibition reflects the core pillars of commemoration, education, and inspiration as we prepare to observe the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

The poster exhibition was developed by the 9/11 Memorial & Museum and has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy Demands Wisdom. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this exhibition do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for Humanities.

For questions or more information on this exhibition, visit the 9/11 Memorial & Museum website, www.911memorial.org, or contact them at: press@911memorial.org.

The exhibition will be available to view in the program room of the Eureka Public Library and on the library’s website, www.eurekapl.org, during the entire month of September.

–

Fold a paper crane

Eureka Public Library, 202 S. Main, will be holding a Fold a Paper Crane program for all ages as a part of the library’s programming Sept. 11.

Chains of colorful paper cranes were a familiar sight across Manhattan in the aftermath of 9/11. Learn to fold paper cranes as a way to come together and show support for each other during difficult times on Thursday, Sept. 9 between 5:30 – 7 p.m. This is a free drop-in program, and no registration is required. For more information, visit www.eurekapl.org or call the library at 309-467-2922.

—