In January and February 2020, the York County Library will offer a “community-wide” reading program – with a twist! Through the “York County Library Community Reads Program of Kindness,” library patrons of all ages will have the opportunity to read a book with a kindness theme and then pay it forward into the community through acts of kindness. The program will include book club meetings, author visits, presentations, and other activities. SC Humanities supported the “YCL Community Reads Program of Kindness” with a Fast Track Literary Grant in September 2019.
The York County Library has selected four different books for different age groups with a kindness theme. Adults will read The One in a Million Boy by Monica Wood, and young adults are invited to read Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams. There are two options for young readers: the juvenile chapter book is Restart by Gordon Korman, and the picture book option is Thank You, Omu by Oge Mora. Each book deals with the theme of kindness and other collateral topics like friendship and bullying. One of the goals of the program is to bring the community of York County together by promoting open-mindedness and understanding about different points of view in today’s world. Copies of each book are available to the first 100 participants in each age group at the York County Library.
The library has planned many activities during January and February, including author visits:
On Sunday, January 26, 2020 at 3:00 p.m.,York County Library will present an afternoon author visit with Monica Wood at the Rock Hill Main Library Activities Room. This special event will include a presentation, question and answer session, and book signing for her book, The One In a Million Boy. Registration for this event is required. Group registration is not available. Registration for the event will open on Monday, January 13, at 9:00 am. Attendance is limited to 100 participants.
On Monday, February 3, 2020 at 4:00 p.m., York County Library will present Oge Mora by Skype at the Clover Branch Library. She will answer questions live. Following the Skype session, attendees are invited to make a collage thank you note for local community helpers.
On Saturday, February 22, 2020 at 2:00 p.m., York County Library will present Alicia D. Williams at the Rock Hill Main Library Activities Room.
On Wednesday, February 26, 2020 at 6:00 p.m., York County Library will present an evening author visit with Gordon Korman, “a regular guy who just happened to write 90-something books for kids and teens.” This special event will include a presentation, question and answer session, and book signing for his book, Restart. Registration for this event is required. Registration for the event will open on Wednesday, February 12 at 9:00 am. Attendance is limited to 100 participants. The event will take place at the Rock Hill main Library Activities Room.
Additional fun and educational events include: hiding kindness rocks with the York County Library Walking Club at the Main Library (Friday, January 3 at 9:00 a.m.); Live Music at the Library – Kindness Sings at the Clover Branch (Saturday, January 11 at 12:00 p.m.); a “New Neighbor Welcome” event at the Lake Wylie Branch (Tuesday, January 28 at 6:00 p.m.); a Drop-In Kindness Painting event at the York Public Library where participants can paint bookends to spread kindness and smiles with artwork (Friday, January 31 from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.); a Kids’ Kindness Meditation at the Lake Wylie Branch for ages 6 – 11 (Friday, January 31 at 3:30 p.m.); the Random Acts of Kindness Week Celebration at the Main Library in Rock Hill (Tuesday, February 18 from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m.); and MORE! Visit the York County Library website calendar and use the “search” feature to search by the keywords “York County Reads” to see all the events planned in January and February.
For more information about the “York County Library Community Reads Program of Kindness,” contact the library at 803.981.5858 or visit the website at https://www.yclibrary.org/.
The mission of SC Humanities is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. Established in 1973, this 501(c) 3 organization is governed by a volunteer 21-member Board of Directors comprised of community leaders from throughout the state. It presents and/or supports literary initiatives, lectures, exhibits, festivals, publications, oral history projects, videos and other humanities-based experiences that directly or indirectly reach more than 250,000 citizens annually.
Photo of linked hands by Julia Freeman-Woolpert from FreeImages
