January 25, 2008
2008 Black History Month A biweekly publication of the Alabama IMLS ‘Coming Up Taller’
Public Library Service
theme to honor founder nominations to be due
Feb. 1 begins the month-long Thursday is the deadline to
annual celebration of Black His- submit nominations for the 2008
tory Month and this year, the Coming Up Taller Awards.
celebration’s theme will honor The awards, sponsored by
the obser- the Institute of Museum and
vance’s foun- Library Services, recognize out-
der. standing after-school, out-of-
The Asso- school and summer arts and hu-
ciation for the manities programs for under-
Study of Afri- served children and youth.
can-American Winners receive $10,000, a
Life and His- plaque and an expense-paid in-
tory (ASALH) vitation to the program’s Lead-
Woodson is sponsoring ership Enhancement Confer-
the national theme, “Carter G. ence.
Woodson and the Origins of For more info or to submit a
Multiculturalism.” second black man to earn a PhD last-minute nomination, visit
Woodson, the founder of from Harvard University, after www.cominguptaller.org.
ASALH, began the black history W.E.B. Dubois.
celebration in 1926 as Negro His- Librarians and teachers wish-
tory Week. It was held in Febru- ing to pass on his legacy through
ary to correspond with the birth- the ASALH’s program can visit
days of Frederick Douglass and the group’s Web site at
Abraham Lincoln. www.asalh.org.
The celebration was expanded Black History Month kits are
to a month-long event 50 years available on the Web site for $50. Jan. 31 - Executive board
later. meeting, APLS
Woodson, known as the Database up and running
“father of black history,” was the February - Black History
in time for observance
son of former slaves. He was the Month
APLS is also proud to an-
nounce that the Facts On File
African American History Feb. 5 - Happy Mardi Gras!
Online database is up and run-
ning. Feb. 13 - AVL council
To search the database, sim- meeting, APLS
ply go to the APLS Web site,
www.statelibrary.alabama.gov, Feb. 18 - George Washington/
and click on the Facts On File Thomas Jefferson
database to sign in. birthday holiday
Children’s services event to Alabaster celebrates birthday of Winnie the Pooh creator
highlight art of storytelling Dozens of children celebrated
The Jefferson County Public the birthday of “Winnie the
Library Asso- Pooh” author A.A. Milne earlier
ciation is gear- this month at the Albert L. Scott
ing up for its Library in Alabaster.
4th Annual The children dressed in Pooh-
Children’s Ser- inspired clothing and brought
vices Mini- their favorite stuffed toys of
Conference. Pooh, Tigger, Piglet and the
The event is gang as storyteller “Miss Jennie”
slated for Aug. Bunton read them stories from
26 at the Em- the collection.
met O’Neal A highlight of the party was
Public Library in Mountain when the children got up and
Brook. spoke about their favorite charac-
Registration forms can be ters. Children gather around “Miss
found on the APLS’ Web site, Milne’s early life gave no indi- Jennie” Bunton during the Winnie
www.statelibrary.alabama.gov, cation that he’d become one of the Pooh Party at the Albert L.
under Services and Programs. the most popular children’s au- Scott Library in Alabaster Jan. 17.
The cost of the event is $40 for thors in history. Born on Jan. 18,
JCPLA members and $45 for 1882, in London, Milne started topher Robin and his animal
non-members. Lunch is in- out as a playwright, writing his friends, were based on his son
cluded. first play during training to serve and the boy’s various stuffed
The keynote speaker at the in World War I. toys.
mini-conference is storyteller It was after the 1920 birth of After Milne’s death in 1956,
Margaret Read MacDonald. She his only son, Christopher Robin his wife sold the rights to the
is the author of more than 45 Milne, however, that Milne Winnie the Pooh characters to
books/audios on storytelling and would alter the history of chil- the Walt Disney Company.
folklore. dren’s literature. Pooh and his friends have
Milne’s most famous work, since become some of Disney’s
stories about a boy named Chris- most beloved characters.
Wetumpka library to host ‘Murder on the Menu’ event
Tickets are on sale for the We- For more information, visit
tumpka Public Library’s annual www.wetumpkalibrary.com.
fundraiser, which may also prove
to be a hair-raising experience.
The theme of the fundraiser,
“Murder on the Menu,” prom-
ises mystery lovers a thrill.
Susan Hayes, director of the
library, explained that guests will
have the chance to meet more
There are just 81 days left until than 20 published mystery writ-
APLS completes its switch over to ers, including Tasha Alexander
the state e-mail system. All APLS and J.T. Ellison.
staff members can now be reached Tickets are $35 per person and
at their new addresses, include a meal. Guests will eat
firstname.lastname@apls.alabama. alongside the authors, who will
gov. move from table to table.