Shh! You’re supposed to be quiet in a library. But one week is a time to scream out loud about how great libraries are! In 2024, U.S. National Library Week is April 7–13. This year’s theme is “Ready, Set, Library.”
The American Library Association (ALA) and other groups started Library Week in 1958. TVs and radios were taking off. The groups wanted to encourage people to pick up books too. Now, National Library Week happens every April. All kinds of libraries hold events.
Some days of the week have special focuses. April 8 is Right to Read Day. It is a time to protect people’s freedom to read what they want without . Then, April 9 is National Library Workers Day. To celebrate, make a card or say thanks to a librarian!
April 10 is National Library Outreach Day. It honors how libraries reach people even outside of a library’s walls. Libraries may hit the streets with book-filled cars called bookmobiles. Or they may have library pop-ups at community events. This work brings the wonders of reading to everyone!
April 11 is a day for action but maybe not how you’d expect. Take Action for Libraries Day is about promising to vote in elections. Libraries don’t support a specific or party. But they affect — and are affected by — government. “The nation’s libraries play a role in our ,” the ALA said. They do this by “encouraging readers and educating voters.”
Meg Medina is a children’s book . She was chosen to represent National Library Week 2024. “Libraries connect our communities and enrich our lives,” Medina said. “From book groups to lending sports equipment to providing a safe after-school hangout space, libraries support us wherever we find ourselves.”
Medina invited everyone to join in “celebrating the gift of libraries everywhere.”
So, what are you waiting for? Get ready… get set… and library!
Updated April 5, 2024, 5:02 P.M. (ET)
By Ashley Morgan
