To celebrate National Library Week, the Booth Library will be hosting several events with the theme, “Libraries Transform,” including the sixth annual Edible Book Festival, a spring book sale and a reception for the winners of the 2016 Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creativity.

The Edible Book Festival will be at 4 p.m. on Monday, and on Wednesday the book sale will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a reception at 4:30 p.m.

Throughout National Library Week, there will be a poster board that says, “I love my library because,” where anyone can answer with their thoughts.

One person already wrote on the board, saying they love the library, “because students can’t afford scholarly journals on a Ramen noodle budget.”

Beth Heldebrandt, public relations director for Library Services, said after more than 20 years of working for a newspaper, she saw how people have wondered if digital media would take over print.

“I think it is important to remind everybody how important libraries are. You can do a Google search on things but it is not the same as the good research you can find here,” Heldebrandt said. “We have someone sitting at the reference desk every hour that can give students advice on finding research.”

Heldebrandt said Booth Library offers many things to the Eastern community through movie and game rentals, music rooms and more.

The Edible Book Festival will display art made from edible materials that have something to do with a book in the art project’s shape or content.

There are six categories for the festival including “Dean’s Choice,” “People’s Choice,” “Children’s Book Theme,” “Student Entry,” “Family Entry” and “Funniest Pun.”

The winners in each category will receive an award.

Even though there are six categories, every submitted artwork will be entered to win the “Dean’s Choice” and “People’s Choice” awards.

Deadlines to enter into the Edible Book Festival have passed, and as of Wednesday afternoon there have been 28 entries, with at least eight based on children’s book titles, five family entries, five student entries and four pun entries.

“I am amazed every year by what people can do. Some people will take the book title and some people will take a scene from a well-known book and describe that,” Heldebrandt said.

During Monday’s display of edible artworks, participants will be able to vote on their favorite pieces and certificates will be handed out to the winners of each category.

Wednesday’s book sale will be made up of books, magazines and CDs from different subject areas, all donated by community members, faculty and students.

Paperback books will be $1, hardcovers will be $2 and only cash and checks will be accepted as payment.

All proceeds from the book sale will go towards enhancing the library’s programs and services.

The sale will be outside of the south entrance of the Booth Library. If the weather is bad the book sale will be postponed.

To wrap up National Library Week, the Library Advisory Board will be hosting the reception for the 2016 Awards for Excellence in Student Research and Creativity in the Witters Conference Room 4440 of Booth Library.

The awards given on Wednesday will recognize students who have shown they excelled in research and are able to explain how the Booth Library helped them in the process. The winners of these awards will then introduce attendees to their research.

All three activities are open to the community to attend.

Abbey Whittington can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]