Melissa Brown
Published: March 29, 2006
Freedom. It’s a blessing Americans champion for. And it’s a privilege Pensacola LRC librarian Charlotte Sweeney says our library has to offer.
“We’re libraries – we believe in free,” Sweeney said. Evidence of this belief is the LRC’s policy of forgiving library fines for overdue materials during National Library Week, which this year is April 3 through April 10.
“Unfortunately I think they’ve learned to anticipate [waived fines] so they just hang onto [overdue items] until freebie week,” Sweeney said.
However, fine forgiveness is only one of many benefits that PJC students can look forward to during National Library Week.
A free student breakfast will be held in the lobby of the Pensacola LRC on April 3 starting at 7:30 a.m. From 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., Virginia Vail will lead a “Google workshop about tips on how to use Google more effectively,” according to Sweeney. Also scheduled for Monday is an independent book sale.
“Tuesday at 2 p.m. is our reception for Dr. Zaragoza-Goode,” Sweeney said. “We’ll have a portrait unveiling at that time.”
The reception will be held in the upstairs lobby of the Pensacola LRC.
“Then on Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m. we will have the PJC Author Recognition Reception,” Sweeney said. “We recognize PJC folks – faculty, staff, and students – who have published something during the year.” Dr. Brian Rucker, a Liberal Arts professor at Warrington, Dr. Jeff Cantor, the new Provost at Pensacola, and Janina Shoemaker, a staff member, are a few of the authors to be acknowledged. The reception will be held on the second floor of the Pensacola LRC in the Atwell Room.
The week’s highlighted event is the Writer’s Workshop and luncheon on Saturday which costs $25 per person. This year’s keynote speaker is “Shore Duty” columnist Sarah Sweeney. The local author gained fame with her quirky comments about life as a military spouse.
According to her website, www.SarahSmiley.com, “Shore Duty” debuted in [the] Pensacola News Journal in September 2003, and by that October Sarah Smiley had self-syndicated “Shore Duty” to four newspapers across the country. “Shore Duty” now appears in more than 11 different publications and online at Military.com. Smiley brings her humor and expertise to PJC in her presentation “From Pitch to Publication,” as the last scheduled workshop speaker.
Other session topics are “Cutting the Umbilical Cord – How Editing Gives Life to the Words You Produce,” by Pelican Press owner Linda Wasserman and “Secrets to Writing Magazine Articles that Sell,” by freelance writer and UWF faculty member Harriet Riley. Billy Bob’s will cater the meal again this year, and lunch is included in the registration fee. The event is limited to 35 participants, so pre-register now by calling 484-2007, or e-mail Sweeney at csweeney@pjc.edu.