National Library Week

I was so busy reading poetry for National Poetry Month that I almost missed the ALA’s National Library Week (April 10-16) - that would have been embarrassing.  Although every week seems like library week in my house, this is the Nation’s bona fide week to get out their cards and make tracks to the library.  It turns out that April is packed full of official days for library lovers...April 12th is ‘National Library Workers Day’, April 13th is ‘National Bookmobile Day’, April 14th is ‘Support Teen Literature Day’ and the entire month is ‘School Library Month’,  - party, party, party!

The ALA began library week in 1958 to celebrate and promote all types of libraries across the country (a rare occasion for lofty academic institutions to join forces with lowly elementary school ones).  The public information office at the ALA uses the week to draw attention to the library’s contributions and to promote its use.  The week began in response to concerns that Americans were spending less time reading and more time watching t.v. and listening to the radio.  In 1954 the ALA and the American Book Publishers started a non-profit group called the National Book Committee to encourage reading, improve people’s health and well being and support a positive family life (no mean feat).  Can you even imagine what the original Book Committee would think of our reading, health and family habits in 2011?  To promote their goals the committee launched it’s first National Library Week in conjunction with the ALA and the National Ad Council in 1958 with the slogan, “Wake Up and Read!”  In 1974 the National Book Committee disbanded and the ALA took over full sponsorship.

On the The Library History Buff blog I learned that way back in 1922, at the ALA National Conference, the publicity committee suggested that individual states initiate library celebrations during the month of April.  Indiana, Missouri, Hawaii, Louisiana and California all had successful state wide library weeks prior to the National event.  Interestingly, Children’s Book Week was launched even before that, in 1919 as a nationwide event and continues to be celebrated annually during the first week of May.  CBW was the brainchild of Franklin Matthiews, the librarian of the Boy Scouts.  He was supported in his efforts by Frederic Melcher, editor of Publishers Weekly, and Anne Carroll Moore, Superintendent of Children’s Works at the NYPL.  “Good Book Week”, as it was originally called, was sponsored by the ALA and the American Booksellers Association.  CBW has now under the auspices of “Every Child A Reader” at the Children’s Book Council and the ALA is no longer a sponsor.  ALA, CBW, NYPL, CBC...all this alphabet soup has the acronym police on alert and is making me dizzy.

While I certainly appreciate a good advertising campaign, there does come a point when all the marketing and hubub begins to overshadow the actual cause.  All the campaigns, websites, events, posters, videos, bookmarks and press releases from the plethora of well meaning organizations begin to distract us from the message - Libraries are our Greatest Resource and Books are National Treasures.  They are both good for your brain, your soul and your wallet.  If we don’t support our libraries they will dry up and if we don’t read so will our brains.  I wonder if any celebration can get that message across to the American people.    

p.s. Happy Birthday Beverly Cleary!