At a press conference today, Mayor Barbara Bass announced that the Tyler Public Library has been awarded a $20,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for participation in the 2010 Big Read, which will focus on “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck.
To show their support for the initiative, many community leaders and grant partners were on-hand today to sign a pledge, stating that they will read or re-read “The Grapes of Wrath”.
“I am so pleased by the outpouring of support demonstrated by our community partners,” said Mayor Bass. “This grant would not have been possible without this united effort.”
The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) designed to restore reading to the center of American culture. The NEA presents The Big Read in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest. Support for The Big Read is provided by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Transportation for The Big Read is provided by Ford.
Tyler is one of 269 communities nationwide participating in The Big Read during this grant cycle. To date, the NEA has funded more than 800 Big Read programs in the nation’s towns and cities. From February to March, 2010 our community will celebrate “The Grapes of Wrath” with a full calendar of events including:
• A readers theater adaptation of the novel;
• Depression-era music performances;
• Steinbeck film festivals with movies like “Tortilla Flats”, “Of Mice and Men” and “Cannery Row”;
• The collection of Depression-era oral histories from East Texas elders;
• Environmental weather discussions about the Dust Bowl and our impact on the planet today;
• And many other exciting activities including related books and events for teens and children.
Program partners include: Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Discovery Science Place, East Texas Storytellers, East Texas Symphony Orchestra, Smith County Historical Society, Smith County Libraries Working Together, Tyler Museum of Art, Tyler Civic Theatre, Tyler Independent School District, Tyler Junior College, the Tyler Morning Telegraph, and KLTV-Channel 7. Local businesses and organizations are encouraged to join this venture. For more information, please call (903) 593-7323 or email programs@tylertexas.com.
The Tyler Public Library houses over 200,000 items and has almost 20,000 cardholders. Nearly 58,000 people visited the library from January to March of 2009, and more than 60,000 items were circulated. In addition, two dozen Internet access work stations are in constant use seven days a week.
The library is located at 201 S. College and is open the following hours: Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.; and Sunday from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. For more information, please visit www.TylerLibrary.com.
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