The University of Georgia Libraries will celebrate one of the newest members of the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame with a special family day, complete with children’s activities, crafts and free books for kids.
The free event, scheduled for 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 17, honors Daniel Boorstin, an Atlanta native who served as the 12th Librarian of the United States Congress and was a founder of the Center for the Book. The historian earned numerous awards for his books, including a Pulitzer Prize for The Americans: The Democratic Experience.
“We see no more fitting way to commemorate Daniel Boorstin’s career than to celebrate literacy in the community, one of his passions as a historian, professor and distinguished librarian,” said Kat Stein, director of the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, a special collections unit of the UGA Libraries that administers the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame. “We’re excited to pass along free books to kids, host story time, and other fun free summer reading activities with our partners at the Athens-Clarke County Public Library.”
Boorstin authored more than 20 books, including two major trilogies on American history. During his tenure at the Library of Congress, from 1975 until 1987, Boorstin is credited with major expansions, including opening the Performing Arts Library at the Kennedy Center and opening the James Madison Memorial Building. He established the Center for the Book in 1977 to promote literacy, libraries, and reading, and the organization now has affiliate centers in all 50 states supporting children’s literacy. Boorstin passed away in 2004.
Boorstin joins 76 members of the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame, which recognizes authors with ties to the state, from 19th century Cherokee journalist Elias Boudinot to 20th century essayist W.E.B. Dubois to 21st century poet Natasha Trethewey. Honorees include recipients of prestigious creative awards such as the Pulitzer Prize, the Academy Awards, and even the Nobel Peace Prize.
Later this fall, the Libraries will celebrate two more members of the 2023 class of the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame. In separate events, the Hargrett Library will celebrate Percival Everett, a University of Southern California Distinguished Professor of English who was born at Fort Gordon and has written more than 20 novels, including Pulitzer and Book Prize finalists, and other notable works, as well as Fitzgerald native Frances Mayes, a prolific writer most known for Under the Tuscan Sun, as well as other travel stories, cookbooks, poetry, and more.
More details about the 2023 class of the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame and events honoring them will be released later this year. For more information, visit georgiawritershalloffame.org.