Clarion Free Library Receives Gift in Honor of Queen Elizabeth’s Sapphire Jubilee

Joanne Bauer

Joanne Bauer

Published August 31, 2017 12:00 pm
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CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — It is Queen Elizabeth II’s Sapphire Jubilee, and Clarion Free Library is celebrating.

(PHOTO: Dan Parker and Bill Buchanan examine some of the new large print books donated to the Clarion Free Library in honor of Queen Elizabeth’s Sapphire Jubilee)

The library has received a donation from Dr. William Buchanan in honor of the Queen’s Jubilee that will support programs and collections in tribute to Her Majesty’s long reign.

The first project funded with Buchanan’s gift is the Jubilee Book Club, a new book discussion group meeting at the library the third Thursday of every month at 6:00 p.m. The Jubilee Book Club is being moderated by members of the Friends of Clarion Free Library, and the group will be reading new fiction titles across all genres along with a few classics.

Friend of the Library member Kristine Lewis, said, “The first meeting of the Jubilee Book Club will be September 21st and the book will be Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles.”

The book is available at the library and the group will be in the library’s first-floor meeting room; all are welcome to attend and join in the discussion.

In addition to the book club, the library is using part of the gift to increase its collection of Large Print Books.

“Services to senior citizens and the visually impaired is so important for libraries”, said Dr. Buchanan, a Professor of Library Science at Clarion University and well-known Anglophile.

“I am glad the library is providing new large print titles.”

Each of the new large print books added to the collection through the Jubilee donation will have a special bookplate added to it, celebrating the Queen. The bookplates are modeled after those used in the library at Windsor Castle.

“This generous gift from the Buchanan family will help the library to add 50 new Large Print titles to our collection,” said Dan Parker, Clarion Free Library’s Executive Director. “This is double the number of large print books we normally add to the collection in a year!”

The remainder of the Sapphire Jubilee donation will be used to purchase an additional laptop as part of Clarion Free Library’s new lending laptop program. This program provides laptops that local school students can borrow to use for school work and research. Many students still do not have access to a computer at home, this program helps to make sure local children have the resources they need to succeed.

In summing up, Parker noted, “We are so grateful for this gift in honor of the Queen’s Sapphire Jubilee, it will impact people of all age groups in our community.”

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