“Welcome to Your Library” is the theme for this year’s National Library Week, promoting the idea that libraries extend far beyond the four walls of a building, which the Washington Public Library has exemplified during the pandemic and this annual event.
Library Director Bryna Walker says they are hosting a virtual story time with local celebrities reading one of their favorite children’s books each weekday around noon on the library’s Facebook page. The videos will be available for viewing until 8 p.m. each day. Walker shares how they are also giving the celebrity treatment to a certain group of people that serve the library, “We have several members of our board that I wanted to submit bio’s and their pictures. So if you see them around town you can kind of thank them for their service to the library, it’s a position that you have to apply for to be on our library board of trustees, and they have terms that are six years and they do a lot for the library and make all kinds of decisions and sort of guide our direction.”
Walker mentions the library is also celebrating National Poetry Month through their social media and a display at the library, with their monthly Washington Writers’ Workshop featuring guest poet Margaret Yapp from the Iowa Writers Workshop on April 24th.