National Library Week
National Library Week is an annual celebration of the important role libraries and library professionals play in strengthening communities and transforming lives. The American Library Association and libraries across the USA sponsor the observance which is typically held the second full week of April. This year’s National Library Week will occur April 6 - 12, 2025. Each year the celebration has a new theme. This year’s theme is “Drawn to the Library,” to draw communities into the library.
National Library Week annual events include Right to Read Day, which occurs on Monday, April 7, 2025. It is a day for readers, advocates, and library lovers to take action to protect, defend, and celebrate the right to read. Tuesday, April 8, is National Library Workers Day, when library staff, users, administrators, and Friends groups recognize the valuable contributions made by all library workers. Wednesday, April 9, is National Library Outreach Day, which celebrates library outreach and the dedicated library professionals who are meeting their patrons where they are. Thursday, April 10, is Take Action for Libraries Day to rally advocates to support libraries.
The history of state or local library weeks dates back at least as far as Library Week in Toledo, Ohio in 1916. During the conference of the American Library Association in Detroit in 1922, its Publicity Committee recommended a National Library Week. However, it took 36 years for the idea to gain wider support.
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 American Library Association and the American Book Publishers formed a nonprofit citizens organization called the National Book Committee. The National Book Committee developed the idea for National Library Week, hoping that it would motivate people to read and support libraries. With the cooperation of the American Library Association and help from the Advertising Council, the first National Library Week was observed in 1958 with the theme "Wake Up and Read!"
While much has changed since then, libraries remain committed to improving literacy, supporting intellectual freedom, and providing equitable access to information in their communities. CMU Libraries especially have much to offer to students, faculty, staff, and the community. The Libraries provide research help via email, chat, and one-on-one consultations upon request. Services include library instruction & information literacy sessions, Documents on Demand, and Course Reserves. The Libraries offer online instructional tools such as course guides, research guides, and “how-to” tutorials. The Libraries’ collections encompass print and online books, journals, newspapers, audiovisual materials, and more than 300 online databases. The Libraries’ technology resources include computers, software, printers and scanners. There is an Adobe Digital Lounge as well as equipment available for checkout like the popular loaning of laptops. The library features a variety of study spaces like individual, group, and family rooms, and extended hours study areas. Other library spaces are Quality of Life rooms and collaborative workspaces. Events in the Libraries include an annual Book Recognition Event, Adobe workshops, therapy dogs, exhibitions, and the Clarke Speaker Series. The Clarke Historical Library offers on-site research materials particularly focused on Michigan history, CMU history, and children’s literature. The Clarke’s online resources include digital Michigan newspapers, CMU history records, CMU scholarly & creative works, Clarke digital collections, and Clarke online exhibitions.
CMU Libraries offer abundant resources that enhance the academic success of students and foster a vibrant intellectual community. During National Library Week, the university community could demonstrate their support of the Libraries in many ways. They could visit the Libraries in person and explore spaces like the Copeland Suite and collections such as the Clarke’s archives. They could follow the Libraries on the social media platforms Facebook and Instagram. They could consider making a donation to the Libraries. They could contact their members of Congress to advocate for protections for the freedom to read and request federal funding for libraries. Or CMU community members could simply extend an appreciation to a library worker for any time they benefited from a link to an online resource, an interlibrary loan received in rush time, a tip to perform effective searches, or assistance to locate information.