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Keynotes at the Delaware Library Town Meeting

Written on: December 9th, 2009 in Blog Posts

At this time every year, Delaware’s public library community comes together for its annual “town meeting”, where we discuss our current needs, initiatives and opportunities, and ways in which the state and county government can help meet the needs of libraries and library users. We met today at the Wilmington University Dover campus, with representatives from libraries throughout the state, along with representatives from friends groups, town managers, and educators.

This year, reflecting the importance that the Markell administration has attached to libraries, we had a number of outstanding keynote speakers. After introductions from the Wilmington University Head Librarian Jim McCloskey, State Librarian Annie Norman introduced Delaware’s First Lady, Carla Markell. In a moving address, Carla discussed the importance of libraries in her own youth- throughout her childhood she frequently used the old Newark Free library for books, music, and educational items not available at home, where family finances were stretched thin. Now an adult, and recognizing her own good fortune, she enjoys taking the children that she mentors to the library and watching their delight in the enjoyment and opportunities presented. She is well aware of the transformational power of libraries in the lives of children. Carla also mentioned that she is currently reading Neither Wolf nor Dog by Kent Nerburn.

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