In the coming week, the Great Bend Public Library will join libraries in schools, campuses and communities nationwide in celebrating National Library Week — April 13-19.
The Great Bend library at 1409 Williams St. is celebrating by holding the semi-annual Amnesty Week, movie events and an author visit with Matt Deighton, author of the children’s book Molly and the Tornado. The Friends of the library will also be holding a half-price sale on bookstore items all day on Thursday, April 17.
Libraries today are more than repositories for books, said Jennifer King, the young adult and marketing librarian at Great Bend. “Service to the community has always been the focus of the Great Bend Public Library,” she said. “While this aspect has never changed, libraries have grown and evolved in how they provide for the needs of every member of their community.”
King described some of the events going on next week:
During Amnesty Week, overdue materials may be returned without fines. Items must be returned at the Welcome Desk during library hours. Damaged items, as well as items left in the drop box outside, are ineligible.
On Teen Movie Monday, April 14, the Teen Spot will show “Ender’s Game” at 4 p.m.
A free computer class, “Pinterest for Beginners,” will be offered at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 15. Pre-registration is required 24 hours prior to the start of any computer class. Registration can be done online at the library’s website, greatbentpl.info, or in person at the library.
The library will be serving coffee all day on Wednesday, April 16.
That is also the day that Deighton, author of “Molly and the Tornado,” will visit the library, at  10 a.m. His children’s book is written from the perspective of the Dalmation whose world was turned upside down by the Greensburg EF5 tornado in 2007. A reading of the book will be followed by a book signing.
This month’s Adult’s Night Out Movie, open to anyone 18 or older, will be shown at 7 p.m. Friday, April 18. North doors to the library will be open from 6:45-7:10 p.m. In the featured movie, author P.L. Travers reflects on her childhood after reluctantly meeting with Walt Disney, who seeks to adapt her Mary Poppins books for the big screen.
The library will wrap up National Library Week with a movie matinee starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 19. All ages are welcome as the library shows a live-action film described as a very loose adaptation of Mark Twain’s two novels about boyhood friends in Hannibal, Mo.: “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” and “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”