Information courtesy of Kirkland Town Library
The Kirkland Town Library’s Read Around the Clock program began in 2018 with a grant from PBS and the American Library Association’s “Great American Reads” program. Kirkland Town Library Adult Programs Coordinator Barbara Pratt organized the event, recruiting people to read three of the program’s books for 24 hours straight on the library’s front lawn.
Since then, the event continued with different themes each year – and a virtual 24-hour read during the pandemic. Last year, the event moved from the library’s lawn to the Clinton Village Green where more than 100 readers have read short stories, children’s books, and classic novels. Kirkland Town Library Director Anne Debraggio said that she enjoys the different voices involved in the event. “It’s wonderful to see the community come together to share a love of reading and support the library.”
This year’s event, coordinated by Laura Stoll (Assistant to the Director) and Chelsea Roy (Adult Services Librarian) was held from 7 p.m. on August 16 through 7 p.m. on August 17. About 80 people of all ages participated, reading children’s books from the 1950s through current day. “We chose beloved chapter books so our readers could revisit their own childhoods,” Debraggio said. Books read this year were Stuart Little by E.B. White, The Borrowers by Mary Norton, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Koningsburg, Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt, Superfudge by Judy Blume, Ghost by Jason Reynolds, Bunnicula by James & Deborah Howe, Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger by Louis Sachar, and a variety of picture books.
Three families chose to camp in tents for the night on the Village Green, waking up to read for their shifts. Other activities included a kick-off party on Wednesday night and the popular weekly story time with Youth Librarian Ruth Gilbert.
