About National Library Week
April is a significant month for the American printed word. In 1800, the Library of Congress was founded, and mid-month in 1828, Noah Webster copyrighted the first dictionary of American English.
The annual observance of National Library Week takes place in April. While computers and electronic media are of increasing importance in the services libraries offer, books remain at the core of their collections, with the Library of Congress alone holding some 40 million in its collection of 172 million materials.
First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week, is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support. All types of libraries - school, public, academic and special - participate.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are an estimated 117,000 libraries across the country, from the familiar public libraries to those in schools, academies, and governments. State and local libraries employ 91,500 people full time and 93,000 part-time.
From The American Presidency Project, Proclamation 3226—National Library Week, March 15, 1958: “Let National Library Week be a time for the appraisal of community needs for library services and of the means for meeting them, for encouraging the development of a better-read, better-informed citizenry, and for rededication to that fine public service that has always been characteristic of the libraries of America.”
National Library Week is the perfect time to visit your library. Many libraries have special events planned for the week. Bring the kids or invite your friends. Meet the librarians. Check out books or other great items in your library's collection or attend a program. Take time to learn your library's story during National Library Week to see all it has to offer!
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