WINNIPEG - February 2, 2009 – The Winnipeg Public Library is celebrating “I Love to Read Month” in February with special guest performances at the Library’s two Check it Out! Reading Zone inner-city sites.

• Dufferin School, 545 Alexander Avenue - Tuesday, February 3, 2009 from 2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
• Norquay Community Centre, 65 Granville Street - Thursday, February 5, 2009 from 2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Both days, author Joe McLellan will read from his Nanabosho series at 2:00 p.m. and storyteller Ruth Christie will delight audiences with her tales at 3:30 p.m. These events are free and open to all.

A partnership of the Winnipeg Public Library and Frontier College, the Check it Out! Reading Zone offers public library service and active literacy-based programs to the Point Douglas and Centennial/West Alexander neighbourhoods. The program’s goals are to increase opportunities for communities to interact with books and reading, promote family literacy, encourage lifelong learning and use of the public library, and have fun, positive experiences.

Check it Out! Reading Zone is also a mobile library featuring hundreds of popular fiction and non-fiction books and magazines for children, teens and adults. As well, the program offers literacy-based activities including story time, games, songs and rhymes for families and children of all ages.