| Library will hold Century Walkathon |
|---|
| Event will cap off Newberg Public Library’s 100th anniversary celebration |
| By David Sale The Newberg Public Library turns 100 years old this month and will commemorate the occasion with a walkathon and fund-raiser. Starting at 10 a.m. May 31, the "100 Years-100 Blocks" walkathon will tour historic Newberg, ranging from Ninth Street to the George Fox University campus. "It works out to about five miles," said library director Leah Griffith. "The city's public works department has been very helpful - they'll be setting up markers along the route." Rest and water stops are included along the way as well and the walk concludes with a hot dog lunch at the library. Registration for the event is now underway, with forms available at the library's main desk. The cost is $15 per person or $20 per family, with proceeds funding the future expansion of the library's children's section. The library association has collected about 10 percent of their $750,000 goal, which will expand the floor space of the children's section by 40 percent and add new materials. "It's going to be a lot of fun - we may start doing this every year," Griffith said. The 100th anniversary also coincides with Griffith's recognition by the Oregon Library Association for leadership. "I received an `Ole Award,' for taking the bull by the horns," she said. The award recognizes Griffith's grant writing work on behalf of the association, which recently netted $275,000 for the purchase of Spanish-language materials and professional development for rural librarians around the state. "For many small towns, it's not possible to send their librarian to attend statewide conferences - this was the first year for many," Griffith said. "There were people from towns in Oregon I'd never heard of." The award also recognizes Griffith's work with Oregon Reads 2009, a statewide community reading program scheduled for next year that will focus on "Stubborn Twig" by Eugene author Lauren Kessler, a nonfiction account of the Yasui family of Hood River. The story covers a grandfather's immigration from Japan to to America in the 1900s, their internment during World War II and the activities of his grandchildren today. An online blog and book discussion groups are available at www.oregonreads2009.org. |