On Friday Lunch Money rocked again in the “Knowledge Rocks” tour at PLCMC’s ImaginOn. A large event was built around this Friday of National Library Week called “The Red, Read Party.” Hundreds of kids, teens and adults came to rock out, play and celebrate together at event.

Lunch Money rocked out New York at NYPL’s Donnell Central location on April 12. Kids and adults of all ages enjoyed the good rock of this smart and high energy group.

Tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. the band Lunch Money will rock out in New York City. NYPL’s Donnell Central Children’s Room will be hosting this great band who have come all the way from the Carolina’s to be a part of the Knowledge Rocks Concert. They’ll play the following week on April 18 during the Red, Read Party at ImagiOn!

Here’s to rocking out, learning, growing together!

I’m headed to New York City to see the first leg of the Knowledge Rocks concerts through. Just last night ifound out that some cool Dutch library staff I met at the Computers in Libraries Conference are going straight to NYC this morning as well…AND our Austrailian exchange staff members Lynette & Jane are coming up as well! Here’s to Knowledge Rocking together.

Oh, by the way…the concert will take place at Donnell Central Library at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 12. It will be the last major event EVER at this location!

Read the article about a major donation to NYPL from the New York Times .

A mixture of low tech and high tech helps support learning and information sharing. Check out this image of one of our “knowledge boards” that are going out to several of PLCMC’s branches.  Community members as well as staff will be able to jot down their thoughts, favorite quotes, bits of wisdom and the like on these. They’re dry-erasable as well as post-it note friendly. We had these fabricated (thanks to the Scholastic NLW Grant), but this is an idea that anyone can do with just a bulletin board or blank wall and an easy way to get some quick interaction and insight from people. It’s just plain fun, too. We plan on posting some of the comments on the knowledge boards on this blog.

The “Circle of Giving” component of our NLW Grant Project is a collaboration to support the dogs and cats cared for by the Animal Shelter of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County. Five of these big red tubs went out to branch locations this week. Thank you Mint Hill, South County, Mountain Island, Morrison, and University City Staff members for agreeing to be donation areas.  And here’s to all the women and men, kids and families who volunteer to help the animals in need at the Animal Shelter.

Straight from the American Library Association’s Web Site, a bit of history about National Library week:

In the mid-1950s, research showed that Americans were spending less on books and more on radios, televisions and musical instruments. Concerned that Americans were reading less, the ALA and the American Book Publishers formed a nonprofit citizens organization called the National Book Committee in 1954. The committee’s goals were ambitious.   They ranged from “encouraging people to read in their increasing leisure time” to “improving incomes and health” and “developing strong and happy family life.”  In 1957, the committee developed a plan for National Library Week based on the idea that once people were motivated to read, they would support and use libraries.   With the cooperation of ALA and with help from the Advertising Council, the first National Library Week was observed in 1958 with the theme “Wake Up and Read!” National Library Week was observed again in 1959, and the ALA Council voted to continue the annual celebration. When the National Book Committee disbanded in 1974, ALA assumed full sponsorship.

From now until April 21, libraries are encouraged to submit stories, photos and videos of National Library Week activities. Libraries can upload videos to the National Library Week group on You Tube, submit photos to the National Library Week group on Flickr or submit a story to the National Library Week 2008 database.  More information is available on the National Library Week Web page.

A very cool component of our project will allow kids and their adults to rock out in both Charlotte and New York City! On April 12 at 3:30 Lunch Money will rock the house at Donnell Library Center in NYC. The following Friday  at 7:00 they will be in Charlotte at ImaginOn during the Red, Read Party celebrating reading, libraries, National Library Week and good rock-n-roll! Come join the circle o’rock.