Annapolis (MD) - The City of Annapolis and the Rotary Club of Annapolis will honor World Book Day at 4 p.m. on Friday, April 22 at the Stanton Center, 92 W Washington St, Annapolis. At the celebration, Mayor Gavin Buckley will read to children to mark the occasion.
World Book Day is celebrated annually on April 23. More than one hundred countries honor World Book Day. It began in 1995, when the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) chose April 23, the day William Shakespeare died in 1616, as World Book Day to celebrate the power of words and the joy of reading.
In Annapolis, World Book Day is a perfect time to celebrate reading and visit one of the many Little Free Libraries (LFL) around town where readers of every age can “Take a Book, Keep a Book, Share a Book.” The LFL boxes established by the Annapolis Rotary are located at 15 locations, including Robinwood, Annapolis Walks, Truxtun Park, Poplar Park, Eastport, Harbour House, and others. Five LFL are dedicated to children’s books. The specific locations for all LFL boxes can be found on the Rotary’s website at www.annapolisrotary.org/little-free-library. The LFL boxes contain a variety of books, including Children’s, Young Readers, Language, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Domestic, Sports, World Travel, Action and Adventure, and others.
The historic Stanton Center is an appropriate setting for World Book Day festivities. The building was named after Edwin M. Stanton, one of President Abraham Lincoln’s closest advisers and a strong supporter of the Emancipation Proclamation. The building was originally opened as a community-funded private elementary school for Black children in Annapolis. After desegregation became law, it was disbanded as a high school, but the community rallied to keep it alive, and it has been a vital educational and community resource ever since. The building currently operates as a community center through the City of Annapolis Department of Recreation and Parks.
To continue the celebration of books on April 23, Rotarians will support Annapolis Greenscape in planting a garden at the Little Free Library site by Harbour House patio in Eastport.
The public is invited to join the free celebration of the power of reading!
To learn more about Rotary Club of Annapolis or to attend a meeting, contact Paul Skrickus, paskrickus@gmail.com or 410-353-6087.
