Next week is National Library Week - a time to celebrate the contributions of libraries, librarians and library workers in schools, campuses and communities nationwide - and the perfect time for our community to come together @ your library.

The Santa Rosa County Library System is celebrating National Library Week by providing a coupon for a free ice cream cone (supplies are limited), courtesy of local McDonald's restaurants, to children 12 and under who check out a book using their own library card or to children who register for a new library card. Stickers and bookmarks will also be given to children who visit the library.

"Everyday, libraries in big cities and small towns, colleges and universities, in schools and in businesses help transform their communities," says Linda Hendrix, Director of the Santa Rosa County Library System. "At our libraries, people of all backgrounds can come together for community meetings, lectures and programs, to do research with the assistance of a trained professional, to get a job or to find homework help."

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.

If you would like to learn more about the Santa Rosa County Library System, link to www.santarosa.fl.gov/libraries. The Santa Rosa County Library System is a department of the Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners. Libraries are located in Gulf Breeze, Jay, Milton, and Navarre, and Pace.