GIFTS FROM MIDLAND’S SISTER CITY
ENHANCE LIBRARY

This month, Midland was scheduled to celebrate the 20^th Anniversary of our sister city relationship with Handa, Japan. However, world events caused a delegation of Handa visitors to postpone their travels to Midland.

The celebration still continues, however, at The Grace A. Dow Memorial Library. Through a generous donation from Handa the Library has added more than 200 items to its collection in celebration of the 20^th Anniversary of the sister city program.

The library has purchased a wide variety of materials about Japan that are available to be checked out by the public. There are books about Japanese cooking, gardening, art and culture as well as history, travel and fiction.

Children’s books include information on the country, folk tales and crafts as well as Japanese language tapes, music on compact discs and feature film videos. A list of all the items has been prepared and is at the reference desk.

In addition to the Japanese materials, the various gifts that Handa has presented to the City of Midland throughout the course of the sister city relationship are displayed in a permanent exhibit area on the first floor of the library behind the reference collection. The community is invited to view these beautiful gifts that feature art works, a doll in costume, miniature warrior helmets, fans and other items that reflect the Japanese culture and heritage. One of the highlights of the exhibit is a large painting depicting the Japanese Dashi Festival created by a national Japanese artist.

The Japanese Garden, given to Midland in 1991 in celebration of our 10-year anniversary of sister city relations, is located behind the library and can be viewed through the windows in the quiet room on the first floor. The garden area has recently been renewed with new bamboo fencing and plantings.

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