Presidents Message Page

President's Message

On behalf of the Culver City Friends of the Library, I invite you to participate in a community-wide reading celebration called Culver City Reads. This program encourages people of all ages throughout Culver City to read the same book. It is designed to broaden one's appreciation of reading, to stimulate discussions among friends and family, and to promote understanding of other people's viewpoints. Finally, building a community of readers is important to a vibrant and informed community and Culver City Reads provides an important forum in which we can all come together to share our thinking about important issues. We anticipate this program will generate enough excitement to become an annual event.

We kick off this reading program with the book "The Wizard of Oz" which was selected for several reasons. First, the Wizard of Oz is the most widely read and beloved children's book of all times. Second, the movie, based on the book, was filmed in CulverCity. And third, themes of friendship, courage, determination, and diversity that have great relevance to us as residents of Culver City and as citizens of the world, are expressed throughout the book.

The Friends are planning a series of Wizard of Oz events and activities to take place over the next several months. Events include Wizard of Oz trivia night at San Gennaro Cafe, special story times and craft programs for children, a book discussion group for adults, a Wizard of Oz coloring contest, a "There's No Place Like Home" essay contest, a "Munch at Munchkins" fundraiser in the historic Culver Hotel, a window decorating contest for local businesses, Wizard of Oz menu items at local food establishments, an Oz costume parade and costume contest, an "Over the Rainbow" drawing for great prizes, an "under the stars" screening of the Wizard of Oz movie at Veteran's Park, and more! We are delighted that Robert Baum, the eldest living great-grandson of L. Frank Baum, the author of the Wizard of Oz, will participate in our program. Other participants include Elaine Horn, nationally renowned Judy Garland Impressionist, as Dorothy Gale and Kurt Steinrick, Master Impressionist of the "Wicked Witch", sure to entertain and amaze both children and adults. There will be plenty of opportunities for photos with these wonderful Wizard of Oz characters. Through all these events, children and adults alike will see how books come alive and these events will make this year's Culver City Reads program one to remember. We welcome your active participation.

Sharon Zeitlin