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A Library Card is ELEMENTAL!
Get in Your Element this September—sign up for a library card! From borrowing books, ebooks, and museum passes to getting homework help, learning new skills, or attending story time, a library card helps you do more of what you enjoy. Get a library card and dive into a new hobby. Use your library card to tinker in a maker space and spark your creativity. A library card is your most important school supply—it's elemental, really—and everyone should have one!
Celebrate and Spread the Word
Visit your library to see what's new and take part in the celebration. Libraries across the country are participating. Do you have friends who don't have a library card? Invite them to sign up during September.
Tools to Celebrate
Sample Proclamation (Word doc)
Sample Press Release (Word doc)
8.5" x 11" Mini-poster (PDF)
8.5 x11" Mini-poster with space to customize (PDF)
11" x 17" Mini-poster with space to customize (PDF)
Coloring Pages
Ember and Wade on Scooter (PDF)
Wade with Element City Library (PDF)
Ember: Fire Up Your Imagination (PDF)
Tools and digital graphics in Spanish coming soon.
Ready-to-air evergreen audio public service announcements (PSAs) for radio stations, available with the American Library Association ID or customizable versions.
Digital Graphics
Post these Library Card Sign-up Month graphics on your website or social media accounts.
A Library Card is Elemental
Instagram Share
Instagram Story
Facebook Share
Facebook Cover
Twitter Header
Small Square
Fire up your imagination
Instagram Share
Instagram Story
Facebook Share
Dive into learning
Instagram Share
Instagram Story
Facebook Share
Dive into a new hobby
Full size poster and bookmarks are available at the ALA Store.
Library Card Sign-up Month History
The campaign started in 1987 as a response to then Secretary of Education William Bennett, who stated, “Let’s have a campaign … Every child should obtain a library card and use it.” Read a detailed account in this 2015 blog post at the American Library Association Archives, A Library Card for Every Child: Library Card Sign-Up Month, by Cara Bertram.
Contact Us:
We'd like to hear what your library has planned for Library Card Sign-up Month or answer your questions. Contact us at campaign@ala.org.
Library Card Sign-up Month is made possible with support from:
Thank you to Disney and Pixar for allowing Elemental characters Ember and Wade to help spread the word about the value of a library card during Library Card Sign-up Month 2023.
Disney and Pixar’s Elemental, in theaters now, is an all-new, original feature film set in Element City, where fire-, water-, land- and air residents live together. The story introduces Ember, a tough, quick-witted and fiery young woman, whose friendship with a fun, sappy, go-with-the-flow guy named Wade challenges her beliefs about the world they live in. Elemental is directed by Peter Sohn, produced by Denise Ream and features the voices of Leah Lewis, Mamoudou Athie.
Check out Elemental books available from Disney Publishing.
For 25 years OverDrive has been on a mission to provide access to compelling, easy-to-use digital materials that reach, engage, and satisfy readers. Since 2002 we have worked with ALA member libraries to invest how libraries lend eBooks and digital audiobooks. Visit Overdrive.com to learn more.
Sora, the student reading app, is the easiest way for schools to provide ebooks and audiobooks to students. Developed by OverDrive Education, this app supports school libraries and classroom reading as well as free access to the local public library using school credentials. Available for iOS, Android and Chromebook.
OverDrive's free Libby app is the easiest way to get started with digital books, audiobooks, and magazines from your public library. Libby is available for Android, iOS, Windows 10, and some Chromebooks.
ALA Library Champions support ALA’s efforts in raising public awareness about the value of libraries and librarians.
