Free Bobby Bridger concert today celebrates literacy series

The Carson City Library will host a daylong celebration today wrapping up the Literacy for Life series in conjunction with the Nevada Appeal.

The festivities take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the library, 900 N. Roop St.

The festivities will include a performance by Hick'ry Switch, an alternative bluegrass band from Carson City, as well as a free show at

3 p.m. by world-renowned balladeer Bobby Bridger who for more than 30 years has traveled the world performing one-man shows.

An accomplished singer, songwriter, poet, playwright and author, Bridger appears dressed as a mountain man and recounts interesting stories of America's West. His performance of "Seekers of the Fleece" is sponsored by Friends of the Library. This will be the last opportunity for locals to see Bridger perform; he retires in 2011.

The Nevada Appeal started the Literacy for Life initiative last year and was joined this year by Carson City Library and the Carson City School District with the goal of giving every student a library card and the understanding of what services they can access at no cost.

Amber Sady, the library's youth services manager, donned "wild costumes" and visited Carson schools to share with students the many resources available to them. Besides books and resource materials, the library offers computer access as well as an online tutoring database that students can use to receive help with school work.

A new logo, created by the library's teen art group, will be unveiled at 2:30 p.m., part of an overall re-branding campaign. The Library Board of Trustees and the Library Foundation will celebrate the library's new logo and message, "Carson City Library: Your Knowledge and Discovery Place."

The library has installed the new radio frequency identification technology, which allowed for six additional public service hours, renovated the circulation desk, opened the new downtown business branch and built a new parking lot. These stories, as well as the success in earning technology stimulus dollars, the partnership with the Hop and Mae Adams Foundation for a potential new library and other resource initiatives also will be shared throughout the day. There also will be refreshments. All events are free.

The Carson City Library is open Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call 887-2244 or visit carsoncitylibrary.org.