Celebration Weeks & Promotional Events 2013-2014
Events are in chronological order.
ALA's offices and divisions sponsor a variety of library promotions throughout the year that libraries of all types all across the country can get involved with to promote libraries and create awareness of library issues. Check out the links below to see how you can bring these promotions to your library.
This page is compiled by the ALA Library. Please send any needed corrections to Valerie Hawkins of ALA's Library.
Both current and future event dates appear on the Public Google Calendar, Calendar of American Library Association Promotions and Events. Please direct any and all comments and questions on this calendar to alalibrary@gmail.com.
Additional date resources at Promotional Opportunities on the ALA Professional Tips Wiki, including dates for selected non-ALA events.
Do not hesitate to find out about the programs and activities being held at your own local public library. Also, there may be resources available to you as a resident of any nearby community college library; call and find out!
Library Card Sign-up Month - September 2013: http://www.ala.org/librarycardsignup
September is Library Card Sign-Up Month - a time when the American Library Association and libraries across the country remind parents that the most important school supply of all is @ your library® - it's your library card. September was first so designated in 1988, as a continuation of a national campaign launched the previous year. See brief list of Library Card Sign-up Month Honorary Chairpersons. Contact Library Card Sign-up Month Campaign Coordinator Megan McFarlane of the ALA Public Information Office with questions.
Banned Books Week - September 22-28, 2013: http://www.ala.org/bbooks
Banned Books Week, an annual celebration of the freedom to read since 1982, is observed the last week of September. Each year, librarians, booksellers, teachers and countless others take this opportunity to highlight the importance of intellectual freedom and remind us not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted. Contact the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) with questions.
Banned Websites Awareness Day - September 25, 2013: http://www.ala.org/aasl/bwad
In an extension of the observance of Banned Books Week, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) designated Wednesday, September 28, 2011, as the first annual Banned Websites Awareness Day. By doing so, it's AASL's hope to bring attention to the overly aggressive filtering of educational and social websites used by students and educators. Contact the ALA American Association of School Librarians (AASL, a division of ALA) with questions.
Teen Read Week - October 13-19, 2013: http://teenreadweek.ning.com
A national literacy initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association that is aimed at teens, their parents, librarians, educators, booksellers and other concerned adults. Teen Read Week was started in 1998. The continuing message of the Teen Read Week initiative is to encourage 12-18 year olds to "Read For The Fun Of It". Each year an annual theme allows YALSA to focus on timely topics and teen interests. Teen Read Week is celebrated the third full week in October every year. Contact the ALA Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA, a division of ALA) with questions.
National Friends of Libraries Week - October 20-26, 2013
Friends of Libraries groups now have their very own national week of celebration, courtesy of United for Libraries (Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations, a division of ALA). The celebration offers a two-fold opportunity to celebrate Friends. Use the time to creatively promote your group in the community, to raise awareness, and to promote membership. This is also an excellent opportunity for your library and Board of Trustees to recognize the Friends for their help and support of the library. Contact United for Libraries with questions.
Picture Book Month - November 2013
The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) will celebrate the picture book during the month of November as a partner of the second annual Picture Book Month. Founded by author and storyteller Dianne de Las Casas, Picture Book Month is an international literacy initiative that celebrates the print picture book in an increasingly digital age. Contact Picture Book Month with questions.
International Games Day - November 16, 2013: http://ngd.ala.org
See the January 23, 2013 post, New Date for IGD13 – November 16. International Games Day 2013 will be moving this year (and permanently for future years) to the third Saturday of November. The IGD Committee is dedicated to finding a date that is more accommodating for all types of libraries so we have changed the date for this annual event. We hope that everyone finds the third week of November an easier fit. So mark your calendars now and book your meeting rooms for November 16 to celebrate International Games Day 2013. Watch for more information during the next couple of months as we gear up for an even bigger year! ALA's National Gaming Day, first celebrated in 2008, focuses on the social and recreational side of gaming. Gaming at the library encourages patrons of all ages to interact with diverse peers, share their expertise and develop new strategies for gaming and learning. At the library, kids can socialize with their friends and play board and video games while surrounded by books, librarians and a real world of knowledge. Use the International Games Day Contact Form with any questions.
ALA Youth Media Awards - January 27, 2014 at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia, PA at 8:00 a.m. EST: http://www.ala.org/yma
Each year the American Library Association (ALA) honors books and media for children and teens. Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, the ALA Youth Media Awards (YMA), which include the prestigious Newbery, Caldecott, Printz, and Coretta Scott King Book Awards, do guide parents, educators, librarians and others in selecting the best materials for youth. Selected by committees composed of librarians and other literature and media experts, the awards encourage original and creative work in the field of children's and young adult literature and media. The award announcements are made as part of the ALA Midwinter Meeting, usually on the Monday morning of the ALA Midwinter Meeting. Award presentations will be made at the ALA Annual Conference. Contact the ALA Public Information Office with questions about the YMA announcement.
Digital Learning Day - February 5, 2014: http://www.digitallearningday.org
Digital Learning Day, presented by the Alliance for Excellent Education and other national educational associations and organizations, with ALA's American Association of School Librarians (AASL) as a core partner, calls on teachers, schools, principals, community leaders, parents and students. The event celebrates innovative teaching practices that make learning more personalized and engaging and encourage exploration of how digital learning can provide more students with more opportunities to get the skills they need to succeed in college, career and life. See the AASL press release dated October 30, 2012, AASL again a core partner in celebrating Digital Learning Day. See Digital Learning Day 2013: Join the Celebration! from the AASL Blog as well as Are You Prepared for Digital Learning Day? from the ALA Washington Office District Dispatch Blog. Contact AASL with questions.
Teen Tech Week - March 9-15, 2014: http://teentechweek.ning.com
Teen Tech Week is a national initiative sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association and is aimed at teens, their parents, educators and other concerned adults. The purpose of the initiative is to ensure that teens are competent and ethical users of technologies, especially those that are offered through libraries such as DVDs, databases, audiobooks, and videogames. Teen Tech Week encourages teens to use libraries' nonprint resources for education and recreation, and to recognize that librarians are qualified, trusted professionals in the field of information technology. Teen Tech Week began in 2007 and has a general theme of Get Connected @ your library. The event is held annually during the second week of March. Contact the ALA Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA, a division of ALA) with questions.
Freedom of Information Day - March 16, 2014
Freedom of Information (FOI) Day is an annual event on or near March 16, the birthday of James Madison, who is widely regarded as the Father of the Constitution and as the foremost advocate for openness in government. Each year, the James Madison Award and the Eileen Cooke State & Local Madison Award are presented by the American Library Association Washington (DC) Office on Freedom of Information Day to recognize those individuals or groups that have championed, protected, and promoted public access to government information and the public's right to know. Contact Jacob Roberts, Communications Specialist of the ALA Washington Office, with questions.
Library Snapshot Day - April 2014: http://www.ala.org/librarysnapshotday
Library Snapshot Day provides a way for libraries of all types across a state, region, system or community to show what happens in a single day in their libraries. This initiative provides an easy means to collect statistics, photos and stories that will enable library advocates to prove the value of their libraries to decision-makers and increase public awareness. ALA is again designating April as Library Snapshot Day in hopes of collecting statistics from across the United States to create a national snapshot. The concept originated in New Jersey as a joint effort between the New Jersey Library Association and the New Jersey State Library. Soon after, many states began emulating the effort. At the 2010 ALA Midwinter Meeting, the ALA Advocacy Coordinating Group, in conjunction with the Chapter Relations Committee and COSLA, agreed to take this initiative to a national level, asking that states across the country find a date to conduct their own Library Snapshot Day. Contact ALA Office for Library Advocacy with questions.
School Library Month - April 2014: http://www.ala.org/aasl/slm
School Library Month (SLM) is the American Association of School Librarians' (AASL) celebration of school librarians and their programs. First celebrated in 1985 (as School Library Media Month; the name was changed to School Library Month in 2010), every April school librarians are encouraged to create activities to help their school and local community celebrate the essential role that strong school library programs play in a student's educational career. Shares the theme of National Library Week. Contact the ALA American Association of School Librarians (AASL, a division of ALA) with questions.
National D.E.A.R Day - National Drop Everything and Read Day - April 12, 2014
D.E.A.R. stands for Drop Everything and Read. National D.E.A.R. Day is a special reading celebration to remind and encourage families to make reading together on a daily basis a family priority. The official event date, April 12th, is the birthday of author Beverly Cleary. D.E.A.R. is sponsored by the National Education Association (NEA); Parent Teacher Association (PTA); the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC, a division of the American Library Association}; Reading Rockets; The General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC); the Newspaper Association of America Foundation (NAA); First Book; HarperCollins Children’s Books; Read Kiddo Read; Walden Media and Ramona Quimby.
National Library Week - April 13-19, 2014: http://www.ala.org/nlw
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. Contact National Library Week Campaign Coordinator Megan McFarlane of the ALA Public Information Office with questions.
Future National Library Week dates are on the National Library Week/School Library Month Fact Sheet.
National Library Workers Day - April 15, 2014 (Tuesday of National Library Week): http://ala-apa.org/nlwd
The American Library Association-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA), the organization for the advancement of library employees, annually sponsors National Library Workers Day, which falls on the Tuesday of National Library Week. First celebrated in 2004, the purpose is to recognize all library workers, including librarians, support staff and others who make library service possible every day. Contact Lorelle Swader of ALA's Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment with questions.
National Bookmobile Day - April 16, 2014 (Wednesday of National Library Week): http://www.ala.org/bookmobiles
First celebrated in 2010 by the American Library Association Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (OLOS), the Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Service (ABOS), and the Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL). National Bookmobile Day is an annual celebration of the contributions of our nation's bookmobiles and the dedicated professionals who make quality bookmobile outreach possible in their communities. Contact John Amundsen, ALA OLOS Communications Specialist with questions.
Celebrate Teen Literature Day - April 17, 2014 (Thursday of National Library Week)
First celebrated in 2007 by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA, a division of ALA) under its original name, Support Teen Literature Day. The purpose of the renamed (starting in 2013) Celebrate Teen Literature Day is to raise awareness among the general public that young adult literature is a vibrant, growing genre with much to offer today's teens as well as showcase some award-winning authors and books in the genre as well as highlight librarians' expertise in connecting teens with books and other reading materials. Contact the ALA Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA, a division of ALA) with questions.
Money Smart Week® - (2014 dates to be announced): http://www.moneysmartweek.org/ala
The American Library Association (ALA) joined in a partnership with the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago to make Money Smart Week® @ your library a national initiative, which was first held April 2-9, 2011. Celebrating its 12th year in 2013 (and its third as a national ALA initiative), the Money Smart Week® mission is to promote personal financial literacy. Libraries of all types in the Midwest have participated in Money Smart Week®, partnering with community groups, financial institutions, government agencies, educational organizations and other financial experts to help consumers learn to better manage their personal finances. ALA and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago have launched a special section of the Money Smart Week® website devoted to libraries, with information on how to participate, as well as toolkits, resources and examples of programming for public, academic, school and special libraries. Contact Don Wood of ALA's Chapter Relations Office (CRO) with any questions.
Preservation Week - (2014 dates to be announced)
Preservation Week, first observed by the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS) in 2010, offers an opportunity to celebrate collecting and preservation in your community, and to highlight your institution as a source of preservation information. Contact the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS, a division of ALA) with questions.
Children's Day/Book Day - El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Día) - April 30, 2014: http://dia.ala.org
Children's Day/Book Day, also known as El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Día), is a celebration of children, families, and reading and held annually on April 30. The celebration emphasizes the importance of advocating literacy for every child regardless of linguistic and cultural background. Through several grants from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) continues to increase public awareness of the event in libraries throughout the country. ALSC is collaborating on this effort with the Founding Partner of Día, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking (REFORMA). Día is an enhancement of Children’s Day, which began in 1925. Children’s Day was designated as a day to bring attention to the importance and well-being of children. In 1996, nationally acclaimed children’s book author Pat Mora proposed linking the celebration of childhood and children with literacy to found El día de los niños/El día de los libros. Contact the ALA Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC, a division of ALA) with questions.
El 30 de abril es una fecha muy significativa para los niños. Se celebra el día de los niños y de los libros. Esta celebración se conoce como El día de los niños/ El día de los libros, y celebra la alegría y las maravillas de la infancia y la importancia de los libros en nuestra vida. Póngase en contacto REFORMA con preguntas.
Choose Privacy Week - (2014 dates to be announced): http://www.privacyrevolution.org
Choose Privacy Week, first observed by the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) in 2010, is an initiative that invites library users into a national conversation about privacy rights in a digital age. The campaign gives libraries the tools they need to educate and engage users, and gives citizens the resources to think critically and make more informed choices about their privacy. Contact the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) with questions.
National Library Legislative Day - (2014 dates to be announced): http://www.ala.org/nlld
The American Library Association, Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA), the District of Columbia Library Association (DCLA) and the Special Libraries Association (SLA) sponsor National Library Legislative Day. The event was last observed April 23-24, 2012. Contact Jazzy Wright, Press Officer of the ALA Washington Office, with questions.
Last updated: May 2013
