The Texas Center for the Book hosted Poet Laureate Rita Dove and Dr. Billington at a festive luncheon, exhibit opening and poetry reading at the Dallas Public Library on March 29.
The luncheon, hosted by Ramiro S. Salazar, director of the Dallas Public Library, gave the Librarian an opportunity to update Texas librarians and members of the Texas Center for the Book advisory council about activities at the Library of Congress. More than 200 people attended Rita Dove's afternoon poetry reading in the Dallas Public Library's auditorium, which was followed by the opening of the exhibit, "From Clay Tablet to Compact Disc: The Story of the Book."
LC Center for the Book Program Officer Maurvene D. Williams took part in the day's activities, as did Prosser Gifford, director of LC's Office of Scholarly Programs.
On view in the 7th floor O'Hara Exhibit Hall until Oct. 1, "From Clay Tablet to Compact Disc" showcases the treasures of the Dallas Public Library and provides its sponsor, the Texas Center for the Book, an opportunity to reintroduce itself to the Texas book community.
The Texas center's new head, Jan Moltzan, is its first full- time executive director. Located at the Dallas Public Library, the center's aim is to serve as a source of ideas to help foster support for books and reading throughout Texas. It provides statewide leadership for books, reading and libraries by working with organizations and individuals to increase public awareness of the printed word. Funding comes from private donors and is under the auspices of the Dallas Public Library.
A 14-member advisory council, composed of librarians, educators, authors, publishers and booksellers provides guidance and support.
For information, contact the Texas Center for the Book at the Dallas Public Library, 1515 Young St., Dallas, TX 75201-5499, telephone (214) 670-7808.
"Letters About Literature" Winner and Family Visit LC. Katherine Niblett of Laguna Middle School, San Luis Obispo, Calif., the grand prize winner in the Read magazine-Center for the Book "Letters About Literature" essay contest, visited the Library with her family on April 20. More than 10,000 students in grades six through 10 entered this year's contest, which asked young readers to write hypothetical "letters" to authors of books that had inspired them. Katherine, who wrote track star Carl Lewis about his book Inside Track, told him "if Carl Lewis could mess up and turn it around, I began to think I could, too. As I turned the pages, you became a friend to me because you understood how I felt."
Entries are being solicited for the 1996 "Letters About Literature" essay contest, which once again will be sponsored by Weekly Reader's Read magazine and the Center for the Book, in cooperation with state centers for the book.
The guidelines for participants are: 1) select a book you read recently and about which you have strong feelings; 2) write a letter of 1,000 words or fewer to the author, explaining what the book taught you about yourself; 3) don't summarize the plot of the book; 4) be honest, personal and conversational, as if the author were a friend who would write back to you.
For further information and entry coupons, which must be submitted with signed letters by Dec. 8, 1995, write to Letters About Literature, Read Magazine, The Weekly Reader Corp., 245 Long Hill Road, Middletown, CT 06457-9291.
Ukrainian Publisher Speaks at Task Force Meeting. Oleksandra Koval of Prosvita Publishers, Ukraine, discussed "The Book Sector in Ukraine" on March 7 at a meeting at the Library of the Task Force on Book Development in Russia and the Newly Independent States. Her trip to the United States was sponsored by the U.S. Information Agency.
Other speakers were Evgenii Kusmin, director of the department of libraries, Russian Ministry of Culture, who discussed "Russian Cultural Policies Toward Libraries"; Caroline Croft of the U.S. Information Agency, who described the agency's Corridors of Culture project; and Charles Getchell, who provided information about the Sabre Foundation's programs. A project of the Center for the Book and PUBWATCH, the Task Force meets twice a year to bring foundation officials, publishers, booksellers, librarians and others up-to- date about book development in Russia, the newly independent states and the nations of Central and Eastern Europe.
For information, contact PUBWATCH, 1995 Broadway, Suite 1601, New York, N.Y. 10023, telephone (212) 362-4618.
Science Teachers Honored at the Library. Republican Reps. Steven H. Schiff of New Mexico and Sherwood L. Boehlert of New York were the featured speakers at President Awards Breakfasts for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching, held at the Library on March 8 (secondary school teachers) and April 26 (elementary school teachers).
Administered by the National Science Foundation, the awards annually recognize four teachers in each state and in Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, the Department of Defense Dependent Schools and the following U.S. territories as a group -- American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas and the Virgin Islands.
Center for the Book Director John Y. Cole joined Neal Lane, director of the National Science Foundation, in greeting the teachers and other members of Congress who attended the two breakfasts. On behalf of the center and the National Science Teachers Foundation, one of the center's 121 national reading promotion partners, Dr. Cole urged the teachers to participate in "Shape Your Future -- READ!," the Library's national reading campaign for 1995-1996.
National Newspaper Association Convenes at the Library. On March 9 more than 40 members of Congress attended a luncheon at LC sponsored by the National Newspaper Association and its National Newspaper Foundation, one of the Center for the Book's 121 national reading promotion partners.
Dr. Billington and Daniel P. Mulhollan, director of the Congressional Research Service, were on hand to meet the members and their staffs. Dr. Billington also presented remarks about the Library's current activities and the national role of the Center for the Book.
Louisiana Center for the Book Opens. Maurvene D. Williams represented the LC Center for the Book on March 17-18 in Baton Rouge at the inaugural celebration of the Louisiana Center for the Book. She and Lt. Gov. Melinda Schwegmann presented remarks at the March 17 banquet, followed by the featured speaker, author David McCullough.
"Literary Louisiana," an exhibit prepared by the Louisiana State Museum and the State Library of Louisiana, was on view. State Librarian Thomas F. Jaques hosted the celebration, which concluded with a symposium that focused on the work of four authors: Tennessee Williams, Kate Chopin, Walker Percy and Ernest Gaines.
For information, contact the Louisiana Center for the Book, State Library of Louisiana, P.O. Box 131, Baton Rouge, LA 70821- 0131.
Center Hosts Adult Literacy Symposium. John Cole presented introductory remarks on March 17 at the seventh symposium on adult literacy, sponsored by the Center for the Book and the National Center on Adult Literacy (NCAL) at the University of Pennsylvania. The principal speaker was Richard Venezky of the University of Delaware and NCAL's codirector for research and development, who summarized, for comment by panelists, an NCAL White Paper on "Adult Literacy: The Next Generation."