Tony Award-winning performer, actress, singer-songwriter, and philanthropist Idina Menzel and her sister, author and educator Cara Mentzel, have been named honorary chairs of Library Card Sign-Up Month. This September, Idina and Cara will join the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries nationwide to sing the praises of a library card. Also in September, the sisters’ debut picture book, Loud Mouse, about a little mouse named Dee who loves to sing very loudly, will be released by Disney Hyperion.
As honorary chairs, Idina and Cara will remind everyone that one of the best places to find your voice is at the library. And during Library Card Sign-Up Month, they want you to explore all the library has to offer, like new children’s books, access to technology, and educational programming. "It's a little card that goes a loud way. Let your imagination sing at the library," says Idina. Cara adds, “The library is where your imagination sings. Get your library card and 'check it out' today."
“Idina’s voice has inspired millions of people, and we are so grateful to have her in duet with her sister Cara to promote the value of library cards this September,” said ALA President Patty Wong. “Their new picture book is an inspiring tale of finding and embracing your voice, and there’s no better place to do that than at your library. Library cards give readers and prereaders of all ages access to tools they need to become lifelong learners. Far from being a quiet place full of shushing, the library is alive with ideas and opportunities so that even the smallest among us can make big impressions.”
Cara Mentzel's debut memoir, Voice Lessons: A Sisters Story, about her relationship with her superstar sister, Idina Menzel, was a Good Reads Choice Award nominee in 2017. Cara spent more than a decade as a classroom teacher and reading specialist, winning a Barnes & Noble My Favorite Teacher Award. She has her master's degree in elementary education with an emphasis on children's literacy. Loud Mouse is her first picture book.
Idina Menzel is an actor, singer-songwriter, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and now writer. She was Tony-nominated for her Broadway performances in Rent and If/Then and won the prize for her portrayal of Elphaba in Wicked. Her voice can be heard as ‘Elsa’ in Disney’s Oscar® winning Frozen, and Frozen 2. She is the cofounder of A BroaderWay Foundation, whose mission is to amplify young women's voices through the arts. Loud Mouse is Idina's latest endeavor to build on the message of empowerment and finding our voices.
Since 1987, Library Card Sign-up Month has been held each September to mark the beginning of the school year. During the month, the ALA and libraries unite in a national effort to ensure every child signs up for their own library card. For more information, please visit ala.org/librarycardsignup.
Rutherford County Library System libraries will encourage current patrons to refer a friend for a library card by a contest during the month of September. When a new patron signs up for a library card, if they show the referral card they were given by a friend, the referring patron's name will be put in the pot for the drawing at that branch. Winners will receive a free library tote bag and RCLS swag!
Linebaugh Public Library is located at 105 W. Vine St. in Murfreesboro. Smyrna Public Library is located at 400 Enon Springs Rd. West in Smyrna. Eagleville Bicentennial Public Library is located at 317 Hwy 99E in Eagleville. MGL Library is located inside Patterson Park Community Center at 521 Mercury Blvd. in Murfreesboro. The Technology Engagement Center is located at 306 Minerva Drive in Murfreesboro. The Historical Research Center (HRC) is located at 435 Rice Street in Murfreesboro. Explore, Imagine, Engage through RCLS. For more information, call 615-893-4131 or visit rclstn.org.