Nashville Public Library + Nashville Public Library Foundation | 2015 Annual Report

Judy: Our favorite aspect of Nashville
Public Library has always been the children’s
programming and its ability to creatively
nurture children and grow them into lifelong
readers. We both enjoy puppetry as an art
form and feel it’s such a meaningful way
to touch a life. Every child is born with the
wonderful gift of imagination, and puppetry
inspires that imagination to explore and
believe. It’s a great way to pass a message
on to a child and it’s a wonderful art form
put to great use in our library system.
Steve: In early 2011, the idea for “String
City” struck me like a lightning bolt. As a
board member of the Country Music Hall of
Fame and Museum and a longtime donor
of the Library Foundation, it occurred to
me that we could create a puppet show
about WSM and the history of country
music in Nashville as a way to educate
citizens about Music City and its roots.
Thanks to Brian Hull, Performing Artist
Director at NPL, and the team at the Country
Music Hall of Fame and Museum, “String City”
is a love letter from Nashville that will serve
as an ambassador for the city for years to
come. Its impact on the city is ongoing and
enduring, and I believe, 100 years from now,
“String City” will still be the way Nashville
celebrates its roots and country music history.
Today, we still consider “String City” to be
one of the best gifts we’ve ever given and
are so pleased with how our gift to the library
was stewarded. We like to say, “a creative city
deserves a creative library,” and are pleased
that the show was performed 20 times to a
total audience of more than 5,000 people
this summer.
Judy: What the library has done, is doing
and will continue to do will stand the test of
time. It will continue to be there and serve
our community because it serves such a
great purpose. I think the whole world should
shine its light on our library.
“
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