Next week will be the week to celebrate. Not only is the Oahu Celebrate Reading Festival on Saturday, April 16th but according to the American Library Association (ALA), April 10-16th is National Library Week! This year’s honorary chair is author John Grisham. Libraries across the nation will celebrate with programs and activtities based on this year’s theme, “Create your own story at your library!”
Here’s a schedule of events happening at your public libraries here in Hawaii! There’s storytelling, chamber music, slack key guitar, slam poetry, cartooning and more! So take a look , grab your keiki, and show some love for our public libraries by attending an event! April is also School Library Month sponsored by the American Association of School Librarians with the same theme so don’t forget to show your school library and librarians some love too!
*Check out atyourlibrary.org (The Campaign for America’s Libraries website) for great resources on using and supporting libraries. They’ve got book recommendations, interesting articles and activities. There’s a great Teen Video Contest sponsored by them where you could win $3,000 for your library plus other prizes.
Other celebrations during National Library Week include:
National Library Workers Day, celebrated the Tuesday of National Library Week (April 12, 2011)
National Bookmobile Day, celebrated the Wednesday of National Library Week (April 13, 2011)
Support Teen Literature Day, celebrated the Thursday of National Library Week (April 14, 2011)
History
In the mid-1950s, research showed that Americans were spending less on books and more on radios, televisions and musical instruments. Concerned that Americans were reading less, the ALA and the American Book Publishers formed a nonprofit citizens organization called the National Book Committee in 1954. The committee’s goals were ambitious. They ranged from “encouraging people to read in their increasing leisure time” to “improving incomes and health” and “developing strong and happy family life.”
In 1957, the committee developed a plan for National Library Week based on the idea that once people were motivated to read, they would support and use libraries. With the cooperation of ALA and with help from the Advertising Council, the first National Library Week was observed in 1958 with the theme “Wake Up and Read!”
National Library Week was observed again in 1959, and the ALA Council voted to continue the annual celebration. When the National Book Committee disbanded in 1974, ALA assumed full sponsorship.
—from www.ala.org
