A great i-día

“El Día de los Niños” and “El Día de los Libros” translate from Spanish to “Children's Day” and “Book Day.” Nationally, the day, or “día” is celebrated on Tuesday, April 30, to emphasize the importance of literacy for children from all linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

Newport Public Library is celebrating the day with an afternoon event of fun-filled activities, music and free books for children while supplies last.

“This event is a testament to our commitment to promoting literacy and celebrating the rich diversity of our community,” said Bilingual Community Resource Specialist Rachel Diego Leon-Kalnins. “We look forward to welcoming families for an evening of fun, learning and cultural exchange.”

In addition to the festivities, this second annual event will feature large games from the Library of Things collection, crafts, story times, dance and tables showcasing the valuable resources provided by partnering organizations, including the City of Newport, Rotary Club of Newport, US Forest Service, Arcoíris Cultural, OSU Extension, Lincoln County School District, Altrusa International of Yaquina Bay, Inc. and many more.

The library’s commitment to cultural and language diversity can also be seen in the Spanish language pages on its website, the Spanish language book section and even a Spanish language book search engine.

“Even our newsletter is bilingual now,” said Supervising Librarian Linda Annable. “We’re on it.”

The event is from 4 to 6:30 pm at Newport Public Library, located at 35 NW Nye Street. For more information, go to newportoregon.gov or call 541-265-2153.

Poem in a Pocket 

Though April is now winding down,

Newport is still a poetic town.

Poetry month is almost goin’,

but you can still score a free poem.

The library staff has made, you see,

A fun poetry display for you and me.

Check it out at your leisure;

you just might find a new word treasure.

“Poem in a Pocket” runs through the end of April at Newport Public Library.