The theme for next year's National Library Week, April 11-17, 1999, will be *Read! Learn! Connect! @ the Library.* The annual observance will feature a national photo contest sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and the Library of Congress.

U.S. libraries of all types are eligible to apply for a $4,000 National Library Week Grant sponsored by the Grolier Educational Corporation for the best library promotion tied to the goals and theme of National Library Week. The deadline is October 15, 1998. The winner will be notified in December.

The photo contest, titled Beyond Words: Celebrating America's Libraries, invites amateur and professional photographers to capture the spirit of our nation's libraries and how they touch our lives. Libraries of all types are encouraged to sponsor local contests in early 1999 and to announce local winners during National Library Week. Local winners must be forwarded for national judging by May 1. The contest is underwritten by Ingram Library Services.

Tips for celebrating National Library Week, applications for the Grolier National Library Grant, and photo contest guidelines will be available on the ALA Web page at http://www.ala.org. Materials are also available from the ALA Public Information Office, 50 East Huron St., Chicago, IL 60611 - tele.: 1-800-545-2433, ext. 5044/4041 - e-mail: pio@ala.org.