York County Libraries will celebrate first-grade readers, teachers and libraries that are participating in this year's Grade One At the Library (GOAL) program. The celebration will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13, via Zoom. The family-friendly event is free and open to the public.

The event will include the announcement of prizes for the teachers and students who achieved the highest classroom participation, as well as teachers who entered a drawing. Additional, Anthony Fredericks will share stories and read his book "Tall Tall Tree." Fredericks is in his second of three years as the designated GOAL author. He is professor emeritus of education at York College of Pennsylvania, where he taught both teacher education and writing courses, as week as the author of more than 160 books.

To register for the event, visit http://www.yorklibraries.org and click on Events. The annual GOAL initiative aims to give a library card to every first-grade student in York County.

YCL also recently held the third annual 1000 Books Before Kindergarten Celebration via Zoom. During the event, YCL recognized 74 children and their families for reading 1,000 books. YCL's 1000 Books Before Kindergarten initiative is an offshoot of a national program that encourages families to prepare children for school by reading 1,000 books before they start kindergarten.

During the ceremony, both YCL president Robert F. Lambert and guest speaker Delma Rivera-Lytle, diversity education specialist for the Central York School District, commended attendees for their achievement. Children's author and illustrator Lindsay Barrett George also took part in the event.

A component of YCL's 1000 Books Before Kindergarten is an annual workshop for parents and professionals. This year, a free, online educational workshop series will be held, featuring George, child development experts, and youth services librarians. The series will run through Tuesday, Nov. 30. Viewed on demand, the workshops will provide tips and strategies for developing language skills, building resiliency, taking learning outdoors, and using play to increase knowledge. Individuals may register at http://www.yorklibraries.org/1000books-workshop to receive the private YouTube link to view the series.