litfest-2016-social-media-graphic

The 5th annual Ashland Literary Festival is right around the corner! Join Hannon Library in celebrating the literary arts

Saturday, October 8, 2016
10 AM to 4 PM
Hannon Library, SOU Ashland campus
Admission and parking are free

The Ashland Literary Festival explores the many facets of literary arts, from traditional iad-participant-badge_300_253
literature to screenplay adaptations and comic books. This year’s event occurs on the inaugural Indie Author Day, observed nationwide by independent authors and libraries via live-streamed panel discussion. Other festival events include the Banned Books Read-Out, a Harry Potter-themed trivia competition, workshops on writing and publishing how-tos, and a variety of author readings.

See Complete Schedule of Festival Events

Festival participants include authors, publishers, and literary experts from throughout the Pacific Northwest as well as SOU students, faculty authors, and university programs.

Sponsored by the Friends of Hannon Library, Southern Oregon Literary Alliance, Human Bean, and Stars & Dreams Gluten Free Paradise. For more information and a complete schedule of events, visit the festival website at https://litfest.sou.edu.

ashlitfestlogo

The Ashland Literary Festival, formerly the Ashland Book and Author Festival, is an annual event that celebrates the literary arts by bringing together authors, publishers, and community organizations from throughout the region. This event takes place at Hannon Library, at the heart of the Southern Oregon University campus, and draws in hundreds of participants and attendees each year.

LEARN ABOUT CONSTITUTION DAY

National Constitution Day has passed, but you can still take a moment to celebrate this pivotal moment in American history. Check out our Constitution Day display, located in the first floor Learning Commons, and learn about this important piece of our nation’s heritage. Interested patrons can also borrow educational DVDs about the U.S. Constitution from the Reference Desk.

ENTER TO WIN

How much do you know about the United States Constitution?

Test your luck and enter a free drawing for a $50 gift card to Barnes & Noble (usable at the SOU Bookstore or any Barnes & Noble location). Anyone with an SOU email address can enter. The winner will be selected by random drawing, but you have to answer two quiz questions correctly.

Contest ends October 13, so don’t wait!

constitutionday

Sponsored by Hannon Library’s Government Publications department

presidential-debates

Don’t miss out! The live broadcast of the first 2016 presidential debate will be showing in the library’s Digital Media Gallery, located on the first floor off the main lobby.

Monday, September 26
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Digital Media Gallery

See the full presidential debate schedule here:  https://www.uspresidentialelectionnews.com/

Hannon Library’s Music in the Library series and Musica Matrix present:

Duo Jetté
a performance of bass viols

with Michal Palzewicz and Pat O’Scannell

Thursday, September 29
1:00 – 1:40 PM
Library Rotunda

Performing Two Part Fancies by Michael East (1638)

duo-jette-rotunda-copy-2

32 million adults in the United States can’t read.

I spent a considerable amount of time trying to come up with a less grim way to phrase that, but sometimes the facts should just speak for themselves. I do have to say though, as a blog writer for a library, that statistic is incredibly upsetting.

We as a society have slowly gone away from investing in libraries. It feels as if every year we watch the hours of public libraries get trimmed more and more to save costs. In many towns, university libraries are the only libraries available to the public during weekends and after-work hours. But, of course, not every town has a university or college.

literacy-day-quote

Many people do not realize how important libraries are to literacy development. The free access to books and materials provided by libraries give children and adults crucial opportunities to learn and practice reading. Libraries traditionally have been centers for after school and summer learning for kids of all socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as places where adults can improve literacy skills in an understanding environment.

As it happens, today is the 50th anniversary of International Literacy Day, established by UNESCO as an effort to “actively mobilize the international community and to promote literacy as an instrument to empower individuals, communities and societies.”  This year begins UNESCO’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, one of the goals of which being to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.”

What better place to help further this goal than a library? So I urge you to go and support your local library and the pursuit of literacy in any way you can. Read a book, or read to someone else and help sharpen their skills. Make a small donation or volunteer your time.

The fight to end illiteracy can seem like a daunting fight. But if we all pitch in, one day we will have a country where everyone can read.

By Alex Mesadieu