(FORT BEND COUNTY) - Fort Bend County Libraries is commemorating its 75th Anniversary with a Diamond Jubilee on Saturday, Oct. 8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at George Memorial Library, 1001 Golfview in Richmond.
Founded in 1947 by 12 women in a Share-a-Book Club, the library system will salute the ’40’s. An official welcome ceremony will kick off the event at 11 a.m., in the Jodie E. Stavinoha Amphitheater and activities are planned throughout the day. Food and refreshments will be available at the fountain plaza of the library.
During the welcome ceremony, a time capsule containing memorabilia, current newspapers and a copy of FBCL’s Hopes for the Future book will be sealed and stored in the library’s Genealogy and Local History Department for re-opening at Fort Bend County Libraries’ 100th anniversary in the year 2047. The Hopes for the Future book consists of drawings done by children of the county this fall, and it represents their hopes, dreams and visions of the future of Fort Bend County.
Visitors can also stroll through the vintage cars that will be on display in the parking lot and imagine what life was like when the founders of the library system dreamed of making books accessible to all residents of Fort Bend County.
Grandmas’ Boyfriends, a barbershop quartet, will be singing popular tunes reminiscent of the post-World War II era. Wing band Second Street Brass will also be performing. The Fred Astaire Dance Studies will be on hand for swing and jitterbug dance lessons, and Cookie Joe’s Dancin’ School will perform.
Actors from the Creative Learning Society will recreate a Radio Theater show with an interactive performance in the Meeting Room. Children can stop by the Puppet Theater in the Youth Department to hear “75 Books for 75 Years” – an ongoing Story Time throughout the event – when youth librarians will read beloved stories from through the decades.
The Fort Bend History Association will be on hand by the amphitheater, with popular games from the 1940s. Players of all ages can also participate in a live-action game of Clue, with real-life actors and hidden clues throughout the library.
At the Bohachevsky Gallery a timeline will be on display, showing the people, places, and events that have made significant impacts on the library system and on the communities being served over the past 75 years.
Visitors can also step back in time at FBCL’s 1940s Photo Booth and have their picture taken while recreating the spirit of the ‘40s.
A complete schedule of activities is available on Fort Bend County Libraries’ website https://www.fortbend.lib.tx.us/celebrating-75-years.
The celebration is sponsored by the Friends of the George Memorial Library, who will also be having a book sale on the day of the event. The Friends will also be releasing a commemorative book bag for the library system’s 75th anniversary. These special-edition, reusable book bags will be available for $3. Proceeds from the book sales and annual membership dues help to underwrite the costs of special programming and various cultural events at the libraries.
All library events are free and open to the public. For more information, call the library system’s Communications Office at 281-633-4723.
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