PHILADELPHIA, PA Spring 2013Its a groundswell and its building momentum Philadelphias cultural community is putting the spotlight on reading,

literacy, and community engagement. Reading opens up worlds of opportunityand books, like the many cultural treasures in the city, bring so many worlds vividly to life. Penn Museum, in cooperation with the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliances GroundSwell initiative, opens its doorsWednesday, April 10, 5 to 8 pm, for a free Philadelphia READS! Community Night and the official kick off of a month-long childrens book drive to benefit the teachers, the children, and ultimately, the community, of Philadelphia. The free event is an invitation for people young and old to explore the world through the Penn Museums manycultured galleriesfilled on this evening with a host of special activities and a literary twist. Guests are welcome to bring a gently used or a new childrens booksuitable for pre-kindergarten through elementary schoolto contribute to Philadelphia READS, a program that provides books and literacy resources to educators in the City of Philadelphia. A Night to Celebrate Reading Penn Museum curators, collections keepers, and graduate students join in the celebration with gallery storytelling, and hands on activities. The Museum has the worlds largest collection of ancient clay cuneiform tablets with Sumerian literaturefeaturing some of the earliest storytelling in the world. Irene Plantholt, Graduate Student, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, teaches guests how to write in ancient Sumerian on clay tablets, in a first day of school workshop at 5:00, 5:30 and 6:00 pm. Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs workshops, where everyone can learn to write his or her own name in hieroglyphs, are offered by Allison Hedges, recent Penn MLA graduate in Ancient Studies, at 6:30 and 7:15 pm. Guests can enjoy favorite stories from diverse cultures, presented by curators and keepers and staff in the Museums related galleries: International Classroom Program Manager Prema Deshmukh at 5:00 pm; Egyptian Section Associate Curator Jennifer Wegner at 5:30 pm; Near Eastern Section Assistant Curator Lauren Ristvet at 6:00 pm; Mediterranean Section Associate Curator Ann Brownlee at 6:30 pm; Physical Anthropology Curator Janet Monge at 7:00 pm; and American Section Keeper William Wierzbowski at 7:30 pm. Community presenters and performers join in the evening. Teaching artist, actor, and storyteller Jan Michener of Arts Holding Hands & Hearts leads an interactive program using

newspaper headlines to create and perform poetry. Youth poets from ArtWell perform throughout the evening. The West Philadelphia Alliance for Children (WePAC) joins the night. WePAC opens and staffs elementary school libraries with screened and trained volunteers, making a difference for more than 5,000 students. They will provide information on ways to volunteer in their effort to promote literacy. Guests are invited to sign up in advance and share the invitation with friends:http://philadelphiareadscommunitynight.eventbrite.com/ Walk ins welcome, too! About Philadelphia READS: Philadelphia READS provides volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups to help put children on the path to academic success. The Philadelphia READS Book Bank provides childrens books for classroom libraries and school supplies for students -- free of charge -- to Philadelphia educators who teach in under resourced public, charter and parochial schools, day care centers, after school programs and other educational sites. In the 2011 2012 school year, 91,000 books were supplied to under-resourced classroom libraries. About GroundSwell: Do Something Good for a Change! GroundSwell, an initiative of the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, is building a movement of residents who take action to make Philadelphia a world-class place to live, work, and play, and who speak out on behalf of our regions cultural assets. Arts @ Penn and Cultural Alliance: Additional Book Drop Off Points The GroundSwell Philadelphia READS Book Drive is supported by multiple locations, and books are being collected through Mothers Day (Sunday, May 12, 2013). Check hours at individual organizations before dropping off donations. On the Penn campus: Penn Museum, 3260 South Street, www.penn.museum Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 3860 Walnut Street, www.pennpresents.org Arthur Ross Gallery, 220 South 34th Street, www.upenn.edu/ARG Institute of Contemporary Art, 118 South 36th Street, www.icaphila.org Office of Community and Public Affairs, 133 South 36th Street, 5 fl, www.upenn.edu/ogca In Center City (Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance): http://www.philaculture.org/ The Philadelphia Building Lobby 1315 Walnut Street Penn Museum (the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology), celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2012, is dedicated to the study and understanding of human history and diversity. Founded in 1887, the Museum has sent more than 400 archaeological and anthropological expeditions to all the inhabited continents of the world. With an active exhibition schedule and educational programming for children and adults, the Museum offers the public an opportunity to share in the ongoing discovery of humankind's collective heritage. Penn Museum is located at 3260 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (on Penn's campus, across from Franklin Field). Public transportation to the Museum is available via SEPTA's Regional Rail Line at University City Station; the Market-Frankford Subway Line at 34th Street Station; trolley routes 11, 13, 34, and 36; and bus routes 21, 30, 40, and 42. Museum hours are Tuesday and Thursday through Sunday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, and Wednesday, 10:00 am to 8:00 pm, with P.M. @ PENN MUSEUM evening programs offered select Wednesdays. Closed Mondays and holidays. Hot and cold meals and light refreshments are

offered to visitors with or without Museum admission in The Pepper Mill Caf; the Museum Shop and Pyramid Shop for Children offer a wide selection of gifts, books, games, clothing and jewelry. Penn Museum can be found on the web at www.penn.museum. For general information call 215.898.4000. For group tour information call 215.746.8183.