Grand County library users can get a “Fresh Start” during National Library Week, April 13-20.

National Library Week is a time to celebrate the contributions of libraries to communities nationwide – and the perfect time to discover how you can “Join the Circle of Knowledge at your library.”

The Grand County Library District is celebrating National Library Week with special programs, contests, and a gift to library cardholders – the opportunity to get a “Fresh Start” on fines due for overdue materials.

“Fresh Start” allows for library users to bring in late books and return them free of fines, or for library cardholders to come in and ask their librarian to waive fines that they had on overdue materials in the past. So if you had 12 DVDs checked out and they all came back three days late, you would have $7.20 due. Go in and speak to a librarian (you can even call) and he or she will remove the $7.20 from your library card so you can check out more DVDs.

“Fresh Start” goes a step beyond the traditional Amnesty, which only forgives fines on overdue books returned during the Amnesty period.

“We want to give our library users who can’t use the library until they have paid their overdue fines the chance to come back and start again,” said the Library’s Public Service Coordinator, Anna Winkel. “The idea is to get fines on blocked cards forgiven so that people can once again enjoy all of the services we provide.”

There is one caveat, however.

“Fresh Start” does not forgive money due for books and other materials that are lost or were returned damaged.

Other events during the big week include a writing contest for teens, a book float

contest (with root beer float parties at all of the libraries), and the Fraser Valley Library’s 10th Birthday Party on Saturday, April 19. Magic Rob will be entertaining kids at the Birthday Party and there will be cake and ice cream celebrating ten years in the current Fraser Valley facility that opened in 1998. The Kremmling Library is hosting the first-ever teen poetry slam on April 19 at noon. Poets may perform their best works for prizes.

“Every day, libraries in small towns help transform their communities,” said Mary Anne Hanson-Wilcox, GCLD Director. “At our libraries, people of all backgrounds can come together for community meetings, lectures and programs, to do research with the assistance of trained professionals, to get a job or to find homework help. We have culture and technology that is rare in an isolated county like ours. Our libraries offer social and cultural enrichment opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable.”

First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April.

For more information, visit one of the five library branches in the county: Fraser Valley, Granby, Juniper at Grand Lake, Hot Sulphur Springs and Kremmling. Or visit the library’s Web site at http://www.gcld.org.