Caroline Kennedy has been named the 2013 Honorary Chair of National Library Week (April 14-20, 2013), according to the American Library Association. During National Library Week and throughout the month of April, libraries of all types—public, school, academic and special— hold special events to highlight the unique role libraries play in American society and encourage the public to use their resources. Those resources include computers, books and e-books, homework help, assistance with resumes and job searches, accurate financial information, adult education courses, support for immigrants and more.
As Honorary Chair, Kennedy will appear in public service announcements (PSAs) promoting National Library Week. The PSAs, developed by the American Library Association’s Campaign for America’s Libraries, will be placed in magazines and online throughout the spring. ALA will also offer free customization of the PSAs for libraries.
An advocate for reading, literacy and libraries, Kennedy has written or edited 10 bestselling books on American history, politics and poetry. Her latest book, “Poems to Learn by Heart”—due to be published in March 2013 from Disney-Hyperion, an imprint of Disney Publishing Worldwide with original illustrations by award-winning artist Jon J Muth—is a companion to her New York Times #1 best-selling collection “A Family of Poems.”
In addition, Kennedy is scheduled to speak at the 2013 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 27. More information regarding her appearance is available on the ALA Midwinter Meeting website.
In December 2011, Kennedy spoke at the Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award ceremony in New York City. . In that speech, she said that many librarians she has met are “professionals who are excited about their changing role in a changing world – who are dedicated to serving others, who respect scholarship, and who understand that you are our guides on a lifelong journey of intellectual collaboration and collaborative composition… . Your work is truly life changing.”
