The Young Readers Center in the Library of Congress hosted a series of events Jan. 28 to celebrate its new Saturday hours of operation, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The center, which opened in October 2009, will offer more young people and their families the opportunity to experience the wonders and resources of the nation’s library.
“It is so important, as the nation’s Library, to grow new scholars and to make the Library and its resources more accessible to Americans of all ages,” Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden said. “I am pleased we can now open the doors of the Young Readers Center on Saturdays to scholars age16 and younger and their parents. This will provide opportunity for many more area and visiting families to experience the Library of Congress together.”
Hayden joined several young visitors in a ribbon-cutting ceremony, as well as a Q & A session with author Meg Medina. Author Erica S. Perl also talked with the young readers, who also participated in arts and crafts, book accessibility demonstrations and a parade.
In addition to the new Saturday hours, the center will add new features including demonstrations of video chat with a shared reader display courtesy of Story Bug from Cricket Media, the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped BARD, Dual Vision books (with bilingual capabilities) and other literary media tools.