The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

The Columbia County Rural Library District is pleased to announce that they have been selected as a World Book Night distribu­tion site.

World Book Night U.S. is part of an ambitious cam­paign to encourage reading and giving. A half million free paperbacks will be handed out across America all on one day - April 23, 2014 - by enlisting 25,000 volunteer book lovers to promote reading by person­ally giving specially printed books to light or non-read­ers and to those without the means or access to them.

The 35 World Book Night U.S. titles for 2014 were chosen by an inde­pendent panel of booksell­ers and librarians, with input from last year's givers. Thousands of copies of each World Book Night title will be printed as special, not- for-resale paperbacks.

On Shakespeare's birth­day 25,000 volunteers will go out on one day and give a half million specially printed paperbacks to light or non-readers across Amer­ica. Apply to be a book giver by January 5, 2014 by going to www.us.worldbooknight.org, read up on the guide­lines and list of books, and then apply.

For more information, call Amy at the Colum­bia County Rural Library District (509-382-4131) or log on to the World Book Night website, www.us.worldbooknight.org.