The University of Idaho Argonaut

For the 50th anniversary of National Library Week, the UI Library is celebrating in a bigger way than just hanging up a banner.
“It was my big idea for the new year,” said Gail Eckwright, UI Humanities Librarian.
Eckwright decided that this year the UI library would get people excited about reading, writing and remembering the good that libraries bring.

“Almost everyone can agree that libraries are part of a greater good,” she said.
Eckwright started working on the project in January, taking the idea of celebrating National Library Week to a committee and discussing how it might be accomplished.
“What do most people associate with a library? Books,” Eckwright said. “And then we thought: wouldn’t it be great to promote the library and at the same time promote faculty and students of UI?”
To promote books and reading, the committee decided to call on UI faculty, staff and students who have published work to read excerpts.

“All they ever get is a blurb,” Eckwright said. “This is their chance to promote themselves.”
Jodi Haire, UI library’s Electronics Resources Supervisor, said these type of celebrations are more common in public libraries versus academic libraries.
“When you embark on this type of thing, you don’t realize how time consuming it is,” Haire said, which may be why a celebration of National Library Week hasn’t happened before at UI.
Haire said it is important for people to be aware that the library is still out there, and despite the vast internet resources, there are still a lot that librarians and libraries can do for people.

The UI library is beginning to focus more on outreach and engagement.
“We’re starting to think differently about how this library works,” Haire said.
The week is about raising awareness about libraries and the roles they play in people’s lives.
Eckwright said libraries are often subject to budget cuts and this week is a time to remember what libraries do for the public.
“(National Library Week) reminds people we’re here for them,” she said.
Most readings begin at noon all this week on the first floor of the library.

“We could have hired people to come in, but that wasn’t the focus,” Haire said. “(The writers) are presenting their own work, it’s just part of what people do in an academic setting. It’s a love of writing and getting knowledge out to people.”
Excerpts that have not been published will be read, as well as published work that has not been released and already published works.

Today, Rick Spence will read from a work not yet published, “Secret Agent 666.”
The book is about a secret agent in Britain.
On Thursday, Kim Barnes will give a sneak peak from her book “A Country Called Home” that is set to be published in September, followed by unpublished new poetry from Bob Wrigley.

Brandon Schrand will wrap up the week reading from his award-winning book “The Enders Hotel: A Memoir” that was recently awarded the Barnes and Noble “Discover Great New Writers” Selection from Summer 2008.