Community Corner

New Proposal Marks National Library Week

State Sen. Wayne Fontana plans to propose to the Senate that Pennsylvania recognize a specific week in April as National Library Week.

Next week marks National Library Week throughout the country.  First debuting in 1958, National Library week is sponsored by the American Library Association and observed by libraries nationwide each April.

The kickoff will begin on Sunday, April 14, where communities across the United States will recognize of the role of libraries, librarians and library workers and the services and resources libraries and library staff provide to the community.

Although all libraries within the Commonwealth have a great importance to the state, the 42nd district is very fortunate to have one of state’s major library systems as a resource, the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP)

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To celebrate National Library Week, I will present a resolution in the Pennsylvania Senate to declare the week of April 14-20, 2013, as National Library Week in Pennsylvania.  This year’s theme of “Communities Matter @ Your Library” illustrates that libraries are often located in the heart of communities and schools and act as a place where individuals and families go to reconnect and engage with one another while at the same time enjoying free access to the knowledge held within libraries. 

In recent years, libraries have become a place that is more than a repository only for books. These institutions have worked hard to change with the times and meet the needs and demands of a technology-based society by offering such items as e-books and audio books, computer stations, and other digital resources. The numbers prove how successful Pennsylvania’s library system has been in this transformation. In 2012, libraries in the Commonwealth served over 47 million visitors and conducted more than 179,500 programs for children, parents, entrepreneurs, senior citizens, and students.

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Furthermore, special programming for job seekers is offered at many libraries in our state and aided over 302,000 individuals last year looking for employment through the system’s online access to jobs databases, assistance with online job applications, software and other job resources to help customers create resumes and employment materials.

I have personally witnessed how successful CLP has been assisting individuals with employment through our ever popular Skills For Success series in collaboration with CLP. Here, individuals who are looking for jobs or are interested in boosting skills such as resume building come to CLP for free workshops that serve as a great resource in a competitive job market.

Even more impressive is the library system’s electronic library catalog known as the Access Pennsylvania Database. This program gives residents online access to the system’s approximately 3,000 school, public, college, university, special libraries and intermediate units in which users may “order” a resource from another state library and have it delivered to a resident’s local library for checking out. Access Pennsylvania is the largest online catalog of its type in North America.

I have always been and will continue to be an advocate for Pennsylvania’s library system. There is something for everyone at the library no matter what your age. National Library Week encourages all residents to visit the library system and take advantage of the wonderful resources available to residents offering a world of knowledge and opportunity and all for free!

 

Senator Wayne D. Fontana

42nd Senatorial District

www.senatorfontana.com


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