| Oregon Center for the Book |
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Purpose:
To stimulate public interest in books, reading and libraries.
Activities:
1. Letters About Literature
A national reading and writing contest for youth in grades 4 through 12.
2. National Book Festival The Oregon Center for the Book Coordinator and an Oregon author staff the Oregon table in The Pavilion of the States. Every state, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Territories are represented and share information about books, reading, and libraries in their states.
The 2007 National Book Festival was attended by more than 120,000 people. Susan Fletcher, an Oregon Book Awards finalist for 2007, was the Oregon author selected to participate. Her book Alphabet of Dreams was highlighted on the map of the United States that was given to each child attending the Festival.
3. Oregon Book Awards
Since 1995 the Oregon Center for the Book has worked with Literary Arts, Inc. to promote the Oregon Book Awards in libraries. During the month before the Awards are presented, public libraries distribute bookmarks and mount displays of the finalists and previous winners. Some publishers of nominated titles donate copies for library collections.
4. Oregon Intellectual Freedom Clearinghouse
Provides resources on protecting and defending intellectual freedom. You will find forms to request information about challenged materials and forms to report challenges to materials at your library.
5. Oregon Poetry Collection
In 2007, the Oregon State Library and the Oregon State Poetry Association joined together to preserve, promote, and make accessible publications of Oregon poets. Publications in this special collection are written by Oregon poets, past and present, or deal substantially with Oregon subject matter.
Coming Soon:
Oregon Reads 2009
The Oregon Library Association is planning the first statewide community reads. This event will coincide with Oregon’s sesquicentennial celebration in 2009. The Oregon Center for the Book Coordinator is on the Oregon Reads Task Force to assist with the planning efforts, and the Center will host the Oregon Reads website. Oregon Reads 2009 has been accepted as an official event of the Oregon 150 Sesquicentennial Project.
The Oregon Reads 2009 The Task Force has selected Stubborn Twig: Three generations in the Life of a Japanese American Family by Lauren Kessler for Oregon Reads 2009. In order to include all Oregonians, the event will also feature Bat 6 by Virginia Euwer Wolff for upper elementary school students and Apples to Oregon by Deborah Hopkinson for younger children.
The Oregon Authors Website
The Oregon Center for the Book and OLA’s Oregon Authors Committee are partnering to develop and maintain the Oregon Authors Website. In 2007, OLA received an LSTA grant to fund the development of the website. The Oregon Authors Committee has committed to developing and maintaining the content, and the Oregon Center for the Book has committed to hosting the server for the website. The Oregon Center for the Book Coordinator has become an ex officio member of the Oregon Authors Committee to ensure sustainability of this ongoing project.
Contact:
Katie Anderson, 503-378-2528 or katie.anderson@state.or.us.
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