The Santa Monica Public Library will be a book distribution hub for World Book Night 2013 and invites residents to participate in the national reading initiative set for April 23, 2013.
Have you ever read a book you loved so much that you wanted everyone to read it? That's the premise of World Book Night, an initiative that encourages avid readers to share their love of the written word, person-to-person.
First celebrated in the U.S. in 2012, World Book Night is a collaborative venture of authors, publishers, libraries, book stores and others. In 2012, over 25,000 World Book Night volunteers went out into 5,800 communities and put free books into the hands of new or light readers, as well as those without easy access to books, city officials said.
Avid readers who are interested in participating in World Book Night can sign up now through Jan. 25 on the World Book Night website — www.us.worldbooknight.org. People can sign up to be a "book giver" and make a first, second and third book choice from among 30 titles available to give away. Volunteers must be 16 years of age (or if younger, accompanied by an adult); provide their contact information; indicate where they will go and to whom they will give away their free books.
In early April, the World Book Night organization will match "book givers" with local book distribution hubs, of which the Main Library is one. Volunteers will pick up their 20 free, give-away copies at their designated hub between April 16-23. Then on World Book Night book givers will venture out into the world to give away their books.
Library workers will also host a celebration at the Main Library to mark the occasion and thank volunteers, city officials said.
