Serving residents within 39 cities of its large and diverse service area, King County Library System (KCLS) will emphasize the importance of literacy for children from all backgrounds on Sunday, April 29, from 2-6 p.m. at the Burien Library, in celebration of DÍA.
Related Articles
Also known as Children’s Day/Book Day, DÍA is a nationally recognized initiative that connects children and their families to multicultural books, languages and cultures through work at schools and libraries. 2018 marks the 8th year KCLS has celebrated this important event.
“As part of our Strategic Focus, King County Library System is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion whether it is through the collection of literature we carry in our catalog, the partnerships we nurture, the backgrounds and talents of staff we hire, or the programs we host, like DÍA,” said Lisa Rosenblum, KCLS Library Director. “DÍA, and other events that are offered at our 49 libraries year-round, are examples of how KCLS provides resources and services to meet the interests of the diverse communities we serve.”
Rosenblum, Burien Mayor Jimmy Matta, and KCLS Library Regional Manager Angelina Benedetti will begin the program at 2pm with opening remarks, followed by special story times read aloud by local guests. A dance party with the Gansango Music & Dance Company, Rhythms of India, the Bailadores de Bronce, and the Shahrazad Dance Ensemble of Seattle will be featured to celebrate multiculturalism. The program will conclude with a screening of “Esteban,” a bilingual movie about a nine-year-old boy who follows his dreams, co-sponsored by the Seattle Latino Film Festival.
Thanks to a grant from the KCLS Foundation, multicultural books will be given to library patrons on a first-come, first-served basis during the DÍA event.
In addition to the April 29 DÍA event at the Burien Library, other KCLS Libraries will host DÍA programs during the week of April 23-30. Please check the KCLS online calendar for additional information on special DÍA programs, to explore the diversity of materials in our libraries, to view DÍA booklists and recommended materials in many languages at www.kcls.org/dia.
