The Northeast Regional Library celebrated its 50^th Anniversary with plenty of special programs -- and plenty of cake, too!  We welcomed over 7,000 patrons walking in to our library during the week-long celebration. This exciting celebration included a variety of programs offered by all departments, including programs offered throughout the fall and early winter seasons by the Children’s Department. 

During this 50^th Anniversary celebration, everyone was pleased to see staff in their new royal blue 50^{th a}nniversary shirts. Everyone had an opportunity to meet our elected officials and enjoy birthday cake with us. Special thanks were extended to Mayor Michael Nutter, Councilperson Bobby Henon, State Representative John Sabatina, and State Senator Christine Tartaglione. One media-highlighted program included an exhibit called “Celebrating Our Diversity,” a six-month long project integrating collage, participant’s personal histories and their multi-cultural backgrounds.  This exhibit featured of the work of local high school teens, who were guided by artist Sally Weiner Grotta.  Other features involved the popular Trivia Challenge with Bob, a Doctor Who 50^th Anniversary costume party and debate session, an exhibition of popular fiction and movies entitled Spotlight on 1963, a book discussion of 1963 bestseller The Collector by John Fowles, as well as a screening of the film by the same name. Cultural performances included the Chinese music performance Hulusi and Mutya Philipino dance, the Lion Dance and Umbrella & Ribbon Dance, and Bomplé, a Puerto Rican bomba and plena music and dance group.

Those who visited the Children’s Department during the celebration period were treated to a wonderful book display of Children’s Books Published in 1963!  Children and their caregivers also participated in Doll Making for the Multicultural Slat Wall, creating cardboard dolls reflecting their interests and cultures to display on a world map. Then there was Amelia Bedelia’s 50th Birthday Celebration, during which Department Head Marianne Bucci read aloud while Children’s Librarian, Megan Whalen, dressed as Amelia Bedelia and acted out her antics to a packed house! Other programs offered by the Children’s Department included the Where the Wild Things Are 50th Birthday Celebration and Diary of a Wimpy Kid Hard Luck Program. Both were performed by the members of Alberto Pagán’s Reading Club for Boys. Mr. Pagán read the stories for both while the boys acted the roles of characters using masks and other props.  

To add to the fun, patrons were encouraged to participate in the Know Your Librarians Trivia Contest, during which they were tested on their knowledge of the Children’s Department staff. And finally, during International Season’s Readings, the Children’s Department celebrated all the holidays that occurred in December. Marianne Bucci introduced the program with a brief explanation of Hanukkah, Winter Solstice, Christmas and related holidays, Boxer’s Day, Kwanzaa, and New Year’s Eve. Six children volunteered to read selections about the holidays from children’s books in the collection. Ms. Bucci told Moore’s Night Before Christmas and led the audience in a sing-a-long. Every child who attended this program received a jingle bell!

Northeast Regional Library opened in December of 1963 and has been serving the community for 50 years with over 430,000 items borrowed, over a thousand programs for all ages, English as a Second Language classes for New Americans, daily computer training classes and free WiFi. We are second only to Parkway Central Library in terms of our resources and usage but second to NONE in our commitment to our customers!