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Delaware County Council joined representatives from various libraries throughout the county to recognize April 8-14 as National Library Week. Delaware County Council encourages the love of reading and literacy through the READ poster program created by the Delaware County Library System (DCLS). Shown in the photo are, bottom row, from left, Kristin Suda, DCLS; Maryann Bullen, President of the Delaware County Library Board of Directors; Brian Dillon, DCLS; Chairman John McBlain; Cathy Bittle, DCLS; Mary Glendening, Middletown Free Library Director; Richard Ashby, Jr., Yeadon Public Library Director; Diane Arnold, DCLS; and Susan Borders, Darby Free Library Director. Second row from left, Cheri Crow, DCLS; Janis Stubbs, DCLS; Jenifer Phillips, Teen Services at Ridley Township Public Library & Haverford Township Free Library. Third row from left, Nancy Jordan, DCLS; Executive Director Marianne Grace; Councilman Brian Zidek; Vice Chair Colleen Morrone; Council Michael Culp; Councilman Kevin Madden; and Arlene Caruso, Newtown Public Library Director.
What’s on County’s Council’s reading list?
Council declares April 8-14 as National Library Week and promote literacy with eye-catching READ posters
In an effort to highlight the county library system and promote the love of reading and literacy, Delaware County Council was joined by various library representations at the April 4 weekly council meeting to recognize April 8-14 as National Library Week and unveil eye-catching READ posters. “Our libraries are more vibrant and active than they have ever been,” said Chairman John McBlain. “They are continually changing and evolving to meet the needs of our communities.”
From biographies on spiritual leaders to an inside look at the life and death of a World War II general, Delaware County Council also shared their reading selections with county residents by posing with favorite books for colorful READ posters that will be displayed in county libraries through Delaware County Library Services (DCLS).
Council Chairman John McBlain recommends John Paul the Great: Remembering a Spiritual Father, a portrait of the late Pope John Paul II by Peggy Noonan. The author recounts the years of Pope John Paul’s leadership in the church and his influence on her own life.
Council Vice Chair Colleen Morrone chose the gripping novel Keep Quiet by Philadelphia author Lisa Scottoline, whose story takes readers on a journey through a family’s hidden tragedy and the impact of a secret.
Councilman Michael Culp chose Richard Reeves’ book, President Reagan: The Triumph of Imagination, which takes readers inside the Oval Office of the charismatic actor who became president. Reeves, a celebrated journalist, uses the same fly-on-the-wall approach as he did in biographies of Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy.
Councilman Kevin Madden chose Toni Morrison’s book Beloved. Set after the American Civil War, it is inspired by the story of an African-American slave, Margaret Garner, who escaped slavery in Kentucky late January 1856 by fleeing to Ohio, a free state.
Councilman Brian Zidek chose Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life, by author William Finnegan, whose memoir of an obsession, complex enchantment takes us deep into unfamiliar worlds, some of them right under our noses.
Delaware County Executive Director Marianne Grace recommends The Promise of Francis by BBC correspondent David Willey. Willey spent the last four decades reporting from Vatican City and offers his insight into Pope Francis’s mission to reform the church.
The Delaware County Library System was formed in 1981 by County Council to coordinate the activities among our 26 member libraries. The mission was to support and enhance the programs and services at the independent libraries. Jointly, those libraries circulate 2.5 million books each year. Today, there are more than 270,000 library-card-carrying members of the Library System.
Residents have many different ways to access the book selections, from obtaining a copy at their local library, or by downloading it onto their digital device. For more information, residents can visit the Delaware County Library Services (DCLS) website at www.delcolibraries.org.