Off the Shelf: National Library Week is Almost Here
By Savanna Draper on April 03, 2024 from Off the Shelf
National Library Week is coming up and we are so excited! This year, National Library Week will be observed April 7-13. This special week is a time to celebrate libraries all over the nation, thank library workers for their dedication to their communities, and promote library use and 
support. The theme for National Library Week 2024 is "Ready, Set, Library."
support. The theme for National Library Week 2024 is "Ready, Set, Library."
First held in 1958, National Library Week is sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and observed in libraries across the country each April. All types of libraries including school, public, academic, and special participate in the celebration.
According to the ALA, 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 a strong and happy family life." 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!"
Sixty-six years have passed since the first National Library Week, and libraries everywhere are still accomplishing and exceeding those original goals for their communities and patrons. A library is built to support their community, and this National Library Week we are asking you to support us! There are so many simple ways you can do this—share a positive library experience with a neighbor or friend, encourage a family member to get a library card, attend one of our programs, donate books to our Book Sale, check out our online resources, come hang out in our lobby and read the newspaper, tag us in a social media post, the list can go on and on! We look forward to seeing you at the Bridgeport Public Library.
Keep an eye on our Facebook page from April 8-12 as library staff will be participating in Spirit Week to celebrate National Library Week! Each day will have a different theme and our patrons will get to vote on which staff member fits the theme the best. The winner of each day will be awarded a prize!
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