Beginning Saturday, November 14, limited-edition Elmo-themed library cards will be available at all Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) neighborhood locations, to help celebrate Sesame Street’s 40th anniversary and to encourage reading in children of all ages. A total of 30,000 Elmo cards will be available at all 60 library locations, from November 14 through February 21, or while supplies last.
BPL will also produce 100,000 limited-edition Sesame Street bookmarks as part of the celebration. Four different bookmark designs will be available at all library locations, while supplies last.
Sesame Workshop, a non-profit educational organization, is also partnering with BPL to offer a free three-month exhibition of Sesame Street memorabilia at BPL’s Central Library, at 10 Grand Army Plaza. The exhibition, Sesame Street: A Celebration of 40 Years of Life on the Street, will also begin November 14. To celebrate its opening, Brooklyn Public Library locations will host a Family Fun Day. Beginning at 11am, the event will feature photo opportunities for kids with Elmo himself, crafts, reading activities, and the first availability of Elmo library cards.
Some highlights of the exhibition, which runs through February 21, will be original show scripts and sheet music, behind-the-scenes photographs, original Sesame Street book art, and several Sesame Street Muppets, including Grover, Prairie Dawn, and Elmo.
On November 21, Central Library’s Dweck Auditorium will host Sesame Street’s 40th Anniversary Book Panel Discussion. The discussion will be moderated by Louise Gikow, author of the new book “Sesame Street: A Celebration—40 Years of Life on the Street,” and will include panelists such as Bob McGrath (Sesame Street‘s “Bob” since 1969); Carol-Lynn Parente (Executive Producer of Sesame Street); and Chris Cerf (Sesame Street composer and lyricist).
More family programs will take place at Brooklyn Public Libraries from November through February, and will be announced as they draw closer. For more information, contact the Brooklyn Public Library at 718-230-2100 or visit www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org.
