National Library Week

Take time to appreciate one of the University of Toledo’s most popular hangouts during National Library Week. UT’s own Carlson Library will be hosting a variety of events in celebration from April 8-14.

“Every year, the American Library Association puts out a theme, and this year the theme is ‘Libraries Transform,’” said Julia Martin, business and economics librarian and assistant professor at the University of Toledo. “We have lots of things planned for Library Week.”

This year, the Carlson Library has chosen events that incorporate creativity and reflect this year’s theme, according to Martin. These events are associated with the idea of transforming. Activities include a book sale, lectures by authors, workshops and a Poetry Slam.

“I would really like for people to reconnect with the library as a place of coming together,” said Barbara Floyd, a university archivist and professor. “I think that the events that we have planned really touch on all audiences.”

Floyd said that even though this is a busy time of the year for the students, she hopes that the students will come in and take part in the Library Week events. The staff of the Carlson Library is hoping that Library Week will bring more students to the library.

Library Week will kick off with a papermaking workshop on April 8. During this workshop, UT art professor Karen Roderick-Lingeman will teach students how to make paper. According to Martin, the students will be learning how to “transform” a number of materials into paper.

A large whiteboard will be placed on the first floor of Carlson during Library Week to motivate students. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to write on the board about how libraries have transformed their lives.

“I’ve always liked reading,” said Blair Grubb, a professor of medicine and pediatrics at the University of Toledo Medical Center. “Writing was a new experience for me.”

Grubb is the author of a book, “The Calling,” which focuses on the relationship between him and his patients. He said that he began to write with the encouragement of his late wife, Barbara Straus. Carlson Library will be hosting a book signing and lecture for Grubb on April 19.

“It’s really a collection of essays that were previously published a lot of different places and then collated together,” Grubb said.

Grubb and a copy of “The Calling” will also appear on one of UT’s ‘READ’ posters.

The ‘READ’ posters, a highlight of Library Week, exhibit well-known people holding books that have impacted them as people or books that they have written themselves. Martin said that the ‘READ’ posters will “showcase people who have transformed.” The aim of these posters is to inspire people of all age groups to read more. The posters will make their appearance in the library on April 11.

“I appreciate all the students on campus who use the library,” Martin said.

A correction was made in this story to reflect the actual date of the book signing for author Grubb which is April 19