National Library Week (NLW)
National Library Week (NLW) is an annual celebration organized by the American Library Association (ALA), aimed at enhancing public engagement with libraries and promoting literacy as a means for personal growth and community development. First held in 1957, NLW typically occurs in April, during the second or third full week of the month, and features a variety of events, including seminars, conferences, and advocacy initiatives that are centered around a different theme each year. For instance, the theme for the 2023 NLW was "There's More to the Story," which highlighted the diverse resources available in modern libraries beyond just books.
The ALA also releases its annual "State of America's Libraries" report during NLW, providing insights into key issues like library funding, usage, accessibility, and trends related to censorship. This initiative traces its roots to concerns in the 1950s about declining reading rates in the U.S., prompting the ALA to address community needs for library services and encourage a well-informed public. Over the years, NLW has evolved into a significant event that underscores the vital role libraries play in society, particularly in supporting literacy and access to information for all individuals.
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National Library Week (NLW)
First held in 1957, National Library Week (NLW) is an initiative of the American Library Association (ALA) that seeks to deepen public engagement with the nation’s library system and promote literacy as a tool for both personal improvement and national development. The ALA typically holds NLW each year in April, during the second or third full week of the month.
During NLW, libraries across the United States host a curated lineup of special events, conferences, seminars, and advocacy initiatives. These activities reflect a special NLW theme, which changes annually. The ALA also releases its annual "State of America’s Libraries” report, which tracks trends related to library funding, accessibility, usage, and censorship during NLW.
Overview
During the early-to-mid-1950s, mass media, including television and radio, were displacing the traditional activity of reading at accelerating rates. A nationwide 1957 survey found that only 17 percent of respondents were actively engaged with reading a book, which prompted the ALA to partner with the National Book Committee to launch the first National Library Week event. The ALA selected “Wake Up and Read!” as the theme for the first NLW, in reference to the sharp decline in national reading rates.
Held from March 16 to 22, 1958, the inaugural NLW was celebrated in more than five thousand municipalities across the United States. According to a 2015 review of NLW history published by the ALA, the first NLW was directly promoted to an estimated 170 million households via television and radio, with print promotions reaching a further 68 million people. Following the success of the 1957 event, NLW returned in 1958 with an endorsement from President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who said in a presidential proclamation that the event should serve as “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.”
Following the 1958 NLW event, the ALA voted in 1959 to formally institute NLW as an annual celebration. The ALA continued to jointly host NLW with the National Book Committee until 1974, when the committee dissolved, and the ALA became NLW’s exclusive governing body.
NLW includes a different lineup of events each year, as the ALA’s chosen themes change annually. In 2023, the ALA selected the theme “There’s More to the Story.” That year, NLW placed emphasis on the many resources other than books available to modern library users.
The annual “State of America’s Libraries” report, which the ALA issues each year during NLW, examines trends related to public library budgets, employment, book availability, censorship, and other notable library trends. For example, during the 2000s and 2010s, the report often focused on censorship. It showed that books written by authors of color and books that deal with subjects most relevant to communities of color and other minority groups are disproportionately targeted for censorship and removal from American library systems.
Bibliography
“National Library Week.” American Library Association, 2024, www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/natlibraryweek. Accessed 1 May 2024.
“National Library Week: April 23–29, 2023.” United States Census Bureau, 23 Apr. 2023, www.census.gov/newsroom/stories/library-week.html. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
“New State of America’s Libraries Report Finds Shift in Role of U.S. Libraries.” American Library Association, 12 Apr. 2015, www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2015/04/new-state-america-s-libraries-report-finds-shift-role-us-libraries. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
Price, Gary. “National Library Week 2023: A Compilation of Facts and Statistics from the U.S. Census About Libraries and Librarians.” Library Journal, 23 Apr. 2023, www.infodocket.com/2023/04/23/national-library-week-2023-a-compilation-of-facts-and-statistics-from-the-u-s-census-about-libraries-and-librarians/. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
“Proclamation 3226—National Library Week.” The American Presidency Project, www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/proclamation-3226-national-library-week. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.
“The State of America’s Libraries 2024.” American Library Association, 2024, www.ala.org/news/state-americas-libraries-report-2024. Accessed 1 May 2024.
Tang, Lydia. “National Library Week: ‘For a Better-Read, Better-Informed America.’” University of Illinois, 10 Apr. 2015, www.library.illinois.edu/ala/2015/04/10/national-library-week/. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.