National Library - Activities galore for World Book and Copyright Day 2017 |12 April 2017

World Book Day was designated by Unesco as a worldwide celebration seeking to promote reading, publishing and the protection of intellectual property throughout the world and it is marked in over 100 countries around the globe. A range of activities has been organised for all avid and new readers from April 18 to 29.

April 23 marks the anniversary of the birth or death of a range of well-known writers, including Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Maurice Druon, Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, Haldor Kiljan Laxness, Manuel Mejía Vallejo, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and William Shakespeare. For this reason, Unesco's General Conference chose this date to pay tribute to books, the authors who wrote them, and the copyright laws that protect them.

Stella Dumas, senior librarian in charge of Public Library Services in the National Library (Mahé, Praslin and La Digue) explained the purpose of this day: “World Book and Copyright Day is an occasion to pay a worldwide tribute to books and authors and to encourage people to discover the pleasure of reading. It is hoped that this will lead to the renewed respect for those who have made irreplaceable contributions to social and cultural progress. In some years, the Unesco prize for Children's and Young People's Literature in the Service of Tolerance is awarded. It is also hoped that World Book and Copyright Day will increase people's understanding of and adherence to copyright laws and other measures to protect intellectual copyright.”

Background

The year 1995 was named the United Nations Year for Tolerance and Unesco's General Conference, held in Paris, concentrated on this theme. The delegates voted to establish an annual occasion to carry the message of tolerance into the future, in the form of a day to celebrate books, authors and the laws that protect them. The date was chosen because April 23 marks the anniversary of the birth or death of a range of internationally renowned writers and because of the Catalan traditions surrounding this day. In Catalonia, a region of Spain, April 23 is known as La Diada de Sant Jordi (St George's Day) and it is traditional for sweethearts to exchange books and roses. World Book and Copyright Day has been held annually since 1995.

A range of activities to promote reading and the cultural aspects of books are held all over the world, also to encourage the understanding of laws on copyright and the protection of authors' intellectual property.

The National Library has been celebrating World Book and Copyright day for the past 16 years. The event is always marked with different reading activities on Mahé, Praslin and La Digue. One very well known activity is the waiving of fines on all overdue books for one week. Children usually participate widely in the different reading activities organised for them and they are usually given gifts of stationery and books if they have involved themselves actively during the different sessions. Adults on the other hand participate mainly in sale of books.  Every year we also have one very famous activity where we reward the best users and borrowers.

Activities are to be conducted in the mornings only.

WORLD BOOK AND COPYRIGHT DAY 2017

PROGRAMME OF ACTIVITIES

Saturday reading activities will be conducted in the Library ground on April 29 from 10am-4pm.  Below is the list of activities for the World book and copyright day 2017.

SATURDAY 29^TH  ACTIVITIES

v  Sales of Books

v  Registration and books borrowing  for children and adults

v  Talk on the importance of reading

v  Book presentation

v  Book talk

v  Storytelling (Creole institute)

v  Poetry writing and reading (Creole institute)

v  Spelling bee

v  Best Readers

v  Dip and answers

v  Educational Games

v  Quotes on Reading by Children

v  Printable picture to paint

v  Best story teller

v  Film show

v  Bouncing castle

v  Gifts for best users