Children of UWB employees spent the Night with Andersen in the University Library

Books, games, or Mach and Šebestová. More than two dozen children of University of West Bohemia employees spent an evening full of fun and adventure together at the university library. They explored the world of animals, met service dogs, and read fairy tales by Miloš Macourek.

For one night, the University Library of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen was transformed into a world of fairy tales, animals, and games. In mid-June, “A Night with Andersen” drew a total of 25 children of university employees to the library’s shelves filled with books. The patron of this year’s event was Czech playwright, poet, and screenwriter Miloš Macourek, who would have turned 100 this year.

“Many of us grew up reading his books. To honor his memory, we incorporated characters and themes from his books into the program, and we ended the evening with a group bedtime story,” explained library director Miloslava Faitová.

But the program wasn’t just about Miloš Macourek. The University Library also partnered with Helping paws n.g.o. The children learned what goes into training assistance dogs and saw firsthand how these dogs help their owners. An animal-themed switchboard also added to the evening’s fun. The UWB’s Information Technology Center prepared phones for the children that played animal sounds instead of ringtones.

The little adventurers also enjoyed an outdoor scavenger hunt on the university campus in Bory. Working in teams, they had to solve a riddle to earn a phone number. After calling the number, the children listened to a fairy tale about Mach and Šebestová, then rehearsed their own theatrical skit based on it. The children thus performed the fairy tales O pirátech, Kropáček má angínu, Vzorné chování and Člověk neandrtálský. A midnight surprise for them was the arrival of Mach and Šebestová. The children were able to ask them anything that interested them.

A Night with Andersen is organized annually by libraries, schools, clubs, and children’s homes not only in the Czech Republic but also abroad. This event, with a tradition spanning more than twenty years, is held to mark the anniversary of the birth of the Danish fairy-tale writer Hans Christian Andersen. The night is intended to show children that reading is fun and an adventure, and to give them a sense of belonging.