Santa Monica News
World Book Night At Santa Monica Public Library
By Jennifer Alcaraz
Dec 20, 2012 - 9:36:27 PM

SANTA MONICA—Santa Monica Public Library is encouraging its local residents to take part in the World Book Night 2013, which will be held on April 23, 2013. The concept of World Book Night is to celebrate books world wide, giving a total of half a million books to communities across the United States alone. This is the second year the event is held in America, the United Kingdom and Germany with an outcome of 2.5 million books being given by people.

Last year, there was an estimated 25,000 volunteers going to 5,800 communities providing books to people with little access to them or who are new to reading. There is a collaboration of authors, book shippers, bookstores, publishers and others in preparation for the big day in April.

Santa Monica Public Library will be hosting a party as a form to thank the volunteers for being part of event. It will be held at the Main Library and there will be an opportunity for the general public to enjoy the fun as well.

Avid readers or any person interested in contributing to World Book Night can visit the website www.us.worldbooknight.organd sign up under the category of “book giver” making a first, second, and third choice from 30 books to give away.

Volunteers must be 16 years old, if younger an adult must provide contact information and indicate to whom they’ll give the books to and where. The application will be available until January 23, 2013. The “book givers” will be paired with local distribution centers, one of them Santa Monica Public Library’s Main Library. On April 23, 2013 volunteers will endeavor out in the community and give away the books.

April 23 is the UNESCO International Day of the Book, Shakespeare’s birthday and it also honors Miguel Cervantes’ death on the same day (which is celebrated in the Catalan regions of Spain by giving a flower and a book to someone). The World Book Celebration was the result of a discussion at London’s Book Industry Conference in May 2010, with the intention of brainstorming ideas on how to make adults read more. World Book Night was first celebrated in the United Kingdom and Ireland in 2011; The U.S. and Germany joined in the effort starting last year.