On Tuesday, April 30, the Park Ridge Library will host Día, a cultural celebration that will consist of two programs: a Storytime event featuring readings of books in different languages, and a showcase that will feature music from various cultures. Día is a nationally recognized initiative created by the American Library Association that emphasizes the importance of literacy for all children from all backgrounds that culminates yearly at the end of April.
Storytime at 10 a.m.
Guest storytellers from the community, including Mayor Marty Maloney, will share their favorite stories in a variety of languages, including Arabic, Polish, Russian and Spanish. Additional world language stories culled from LOTE4Kids, a database of digital world language book, will also be available to Park Ridge Public Library cardholders. This Storytime for children and their caregivers will conclude at 10:45 a.m.
Cultural Showcase at 4 p.m.
In the afternoon, the Library will celebrate the cultural diversity of our community with violinist John Ling playing a selection of music from around the world. The Roosevelt School Choir will also perform at this one-hour program for patrons of all ages.
“Stories are universal,” said Youth Services Manager Staci Greenwald. “We are excited to be able to offer an experience like this Día celebration that illustrates how stories can transcend culture and language to bring people from all walks of life together.”
About Día
Día is a nationally recognized initiative that emphasizes the importance of literacy for all children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds. It is a daily commitment to linking children and their families to diverse books, languages, and cultures. The common goals of all Día programming are to:
- Celebrate children and connect them to the world of learning through books, stories and libraries.
- Nurture cognitive and literacy development in ways that honor and embrace a child’s home language and culture.
- Introduce families to community resources that provide opportunities for learning through multiple literacies.
- Recognize and respect culture, heritage and language as powerful tools for strengthening families and communities.
