North Yorkshire’s libraries are gearing up for one of the reading highlights of the year. World Book Night, an annual celebration of reading and books, takes place on Saturday 23 April.
Libraries are eagerly awaiting delivery of books ready to hand out to a team of passionate volunteers to distribute in their communities to share their love of reading with people who don’t read regularly or own books.
As well as acting as collection points for volunteers, North Yorkshire’s libraries are hosting events celebrating books and reading and library staff will be visiting numerous venues to distribute free books. Events taking place across the county include:
- Settle library is holding a Bring Your Friend to the Library coffee morning. Drop in any time between 10am and noon with a friend who doesn’t usually read to claim your free book.
- Starbeck library is working with Friends of Starbeck Library and North Yorkshire Police to put on a talk, A Day in the Life of a Policeman, by local community policeman Graham Wilson. The event is on Tuesday 26 April at 7pm. Tickets cost £3.
- Ripon library staff will hand out free books and information about the library at Ripon market on Thursday 21 April, from 11.30am until all the books are gone.
- Thirsk library staff will be in local volunteer-run restaurant Bistro 21, which is within the Meadowfields Extra Care facility, giving out free books over lunch to residents and members of the public.
- Richmond, Catterick, Colburn and Leyburn libraries will be giving out their free books to computer users in the library.
- Sherburn and Tadcaster libraries will be making the most of the Tour de Yorkshire passing their doors on 29 and 30 April, handing out their books to spectators – and possibly even to Sir Bradley Wiggins if he slows down enough!
- Scarborough library is working in partnership with the Film Society, which is meeting in the library’s Concert Room at 7.30pm on Friday 22 April. You can book tickets in advance or pay on the door to watch a film and collect your free book.
- Whitby library staff will be in Sainsbury’s from 2.30pm on Friday 22 April handing out free books to the shoppers.
World Book Night is run by The Reading Agency, a national charity that inspires people to become confident and enthusiastic readers to help give them an equal chance in life.
County Councillor Chris Metcalfe, Executive Member for Library and Information Services, said: “Reading for pleasure has been recognised as being beneficial in helping people to deal with a wide range of social issues, from poverty to mental health, but in the UK 35 per cent of people don’t regularly read. World Book Night seeks to help to address this, bringing together a range of partners – libraries, publishers, printers, distributors, booksellers, private donors, trust and foundations – to get people reading.”
For information about timings and tickets or to find out what is happening near you, contact your local library. If you do not receive a free book, remember that all of them are available for loan in North Yorkshire libraries. For further information about World Book Night, visit www.worldbooknight.org.