The popular Scrabble Night for Adult Literacy will return to the Santa Barbara Public Library on Sept. 19.

Fun for players of all ages and abilities, the event is a fundraiser for library literacy programs, celebrating their 30th year in California. This year, in addition to the open-entry Scrabble games, the event will also feature “Scrabble with the Stars,” a chance for community members to bid on a round with their favorite local celebrity.

Scrabble Night for Literacy will be held from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19 in the Santa Barbara Public Library’s Faulkner Gallery, 40 E. Anapamu St. Each player will be paired against another player of the same level, so there’s no need to bring a partner. The noncompetitive Scrabble Night is all for fun and supports a great cause.

General admission is $20. For more information on the event and Scrabble with the Stars, call 805.564.5619 or email scrabblelibrary@gmail.com. More information on Scrabble with the Stars will be announced in August.

Scrabble’s famous wooden letter tiles, made of Vermont maple, are a cultural icon. If all the Scrabble tiles ever produced were placed in a row, they would stretch for more than 50,000 miles! Available in 29 languages, Scrabble continues to attract countless players worldwide, including millions of online word game players.

Scrabble Night benefits the library system’s Adult Literacy Program, helping the library provide free books and materials to adult learners and train new volunteer tutors. Each year over 200 local adults receive free, confidential tutoring through the Santa Barbara Public Library System’s Adult Literacy Program, which helps local residents build the basic reading and writing skills that they need to succeed at work, to be effective parents, and to bring dignity to their lives. For more information on library literacy programs, call 805.564.5619.

For information about Santa Barbara Public Library System locations, hours, programs and events, visit online at SBPLibrary.org.

— Beverly Schwartzberg represents the Santa Barbara Public Library.