NSU Libraries continue The Big Read campaign with unique events

(Tahlequah, Okla.)--On April 22, NSU Libraries will continue its two-month-long literacy campaign with an event that will celebrate both fantasy literature themes and Earth Day.

From 1:30 to 3 p.m. at Beta Field on the Tahlequah campus, the community is invited to participate in a discussion with Master Falconer and conservationist, Bob Aanonson. He is from The Royal Gauntlet, an organization dedicated to returning sick or injured wild animals back to their natural habitats.

His discussion will focus on hawks and falcons, two birds that play vital roles in Ursula K. Le Guins novel, A Wizard of Earthsea, which has been the theme of all of the events related to The Big Read.

The Big Read campaign will celebrate Earth Day once again on April 25, at the John Hope Franklin Reconciliation Park in downtown Tulsa with the Earthsea on Earth Day Event.

There will be a festival for all ages from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with magic and conservation-themed events and activities.

To conclude The Big Read campaign, Wizards Asylum, at 7165 S. Mingo Rd in Tulsa, will host a Mini Convention based on A Wizard of Earthsea.

The convention will take place from 6 to 9 p.m., and attendees will be able to play board games, participate in a costume contest called Cosplay, and hear from area fantasy authors and speakers.

Those in attendance will also be able to create fan fiction pieces from their favorite fantasy games such as Magic: The Gathering and World of War Craft.

Trophies will be given out for best Cosplay and best costumes, and discounts will be available on many trade paperbacks and graphic novels.

We want to provide a variety of events to the communities, so that everyone has an opportunity to participate in literacy in a fun way, Pamela Louderback, Library Director for NSUBA said.

This program is designed to revitalize the role of reading in American culture by exposing citizens to great works of literature and encouraging them to read for pleasure and enrichment.

The Big Read, a program designed by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and managed by Arts Midwest, provides grants to support creative reading programs in selected communities. The program began as a pilot project in 2006 with ten communities, and to date, more than 1,100 grants have been awarded to communities in the U.S. Currently NSU is one of 77 communities nationwide participating in the program.

The Big Read is presented in partnership with the following area sponsors: University of Tulsa, University of Oklahoma-Tulsa, Tulsa Community College, Connors State College, Broken Arrow Public High School, Tulsa City County Library-Broken Arrow, Muskogee Public Library, Tahlequah Public Library, John Hope Franklin Center, Wizards Asylum Comics & Games.

For more information on these events, please contact Pamela Louderback at 918-449-6452 or louderba@nsuok.edu.