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National Library Week Celebration: 2024

NLW 2024

Celebration Days During National Library Week

National Library Week 2024 will be celebrated Sunday, April 7th through Saturday, April 13th. Days of note during that week are:

Monday, April 8: Right to Read Day is a National Day of Action in support of the right to read. The State of America's Libraries Report is released, including Top Ten Most Challenged Books of 2023.

*Event- April 8th at 3:11pm- Solar Eclipse Viewing Party at Belk Library front steps, Hickory Library, and the Music Library. Moon Pie giveaway while supplies last!:)

Tuesday, April 9: National Library Workers Day, a day for everyone to recognize the valuable contributions made by library workers.

Wednesday, April 10: National Library Outreach Day, a day the dedicated library professionals who are meeting their patrons where they are.

Thursday, April 11: Take Action for Libraries Day, a day to rally advocates to urge members of Congress to protect the freedom to read.

* Event- April 10th and Thursday April 11th from 1:00 to 4:00pm- Watauga County Public Library's outreach van will be on Sanford Mall to sign students up for public library cards. See following announcement for additional details.

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"The theme for National Library Week 2024, “Ready, Set, Library!,” promotes the idea that in our always-online world, libraries give us a green light to something truly special: a place to connect with others, learn new skills, and focus on what matters most. Find your crew at your library’s author talks, workshops, and book clubs.

No matter where you find yourself on the roadmap through life’s journey—preparing for a new career, launching a business, or raising a family—your library provides an inclusive and supportive community where everyone belongs.

Get ready to explore, become inspired, and connect with your library this National Library Week. Libraries are there for you, all the way to the finish line.

"Meg Medina, the 2023­­­­–2024 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, is a Cuban American author who writes for readers of all ages. Her middle-grade novel Merci Suárez Changes Gears received a Newbery Medal and was a New York Times Book Review Notable Children’s Book of the Year, among many other distinctions. Its sequel, Merci Suárez Can’t Dance, received five starred reviews, while Merci Suárez Plays It Cool received four stars, with Kirkus Reviews calling it “a fabulous finale to a memorable trilogy.” Her most recent picture book, Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away, received honors including a Charlotte Zolotow Award and was the 2020 Jumpstart Read for the Record selection, reaching 2.24 million readers. She received a Pura Belpré Author Award Honor for her picture book Mango, Abuela, and Me. Her young adult novel Burn Baby Burn earned numerous distinctions, including being long-listed for the National Book Award and short-listed for the Kirkus Prize. Meg Medina received a Pura Belpré Author Award and a Cybils Award for her young adult novel Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass, which has been adapted and illustrated as a graphic novel by Mel Valentine Vargas. She also received an Ezra Jack Keats Writer Award for her picture book Tía Isa Wants a Car. When she is not writing, Meg Medina works on community projects that support girls, Latino youth, and literacy. She lives with her family in Richmond, Virginia."

"I’m thrilled to serve as the honorary chair of National Library Week for 2024! Libraries connect our communities and enrich our lives in ways we may not realize, and one of my greatest pleasures is discovering the unexpected and beautiful things libraries offer. From book groups to lending sports equipment to providing a safe after-school hangout space and so much more, libraries support us wherever we find ourselves on the roadmap through life’s journey. Join me and the American Library Association in celebrating the gift of libraries everywhere and the adventures and opportunities they unlock for us every day. Ready, Set, Library!”

Monday April 8th- Right to Read

Text graphic with comic-book style font over a background of book pages. Text in graphic reads "RIGHT TO READ DAY. April 24, 2023. PROTECT YOUR FREEDOM TO READ." Unite Against Book Bans logo in the top right.

April 8th 2024 Solar Eclipse

A map of the contiguous U.S. shows the path of the 2024 total solar eclipse stretching on a narrow band from Texas to Maine.

Join us throughout the University Libraries (Belk Library front steps, Hickory Library, and the Music Library) at 3:11pm for Moon Pies and solar eclipse viewing. *We will not be handing out solar eclipse glasses. The Watauga County Public Library will be hosting a viewing party, family activities, and handing out glasses (while supplies last).

Spotify.com- Playlist creator- Space.com- With more than 4 hours of music, your ears can enjoy the eclipse for the same amount of time that the moon’s shadow spends crossing the U.S.

Space.com (2017),Total Solar Eclipse Playlist. Available at: Spotify (Accessed 26 March 2024). 

Tuesday April 9th- National Library Workers Day

 

Now is the perfect time to highlight the critical role library workers play in keeping our libraries running. Let’s celebrate and recognize the amazing STARS who work in libraries. Host festivities as you take this time to flood social media (using the hashtag #NLWD24) with words of gratitude for all library workers. We can start by nominating library workers as Stars for the ALA-APA Galaxy of Stars.

Nominate a stellar library worker!

Nominations may come from library users, students, children, colleagues, faculty, or management. Please visit the Galaxy of Stars to see your nomination.  It will be updated weekly.

Check out the Star-Gaze by State at the bottom of the page. 

Watauga County Public Library

For National Library Week (April 7-13, 2024), the Watauga County Public Library Outreach Van will be stationed on Sanford Mall at Appalachian State University on Wednesday April 10th and Thursday April 11th from 1 to 4 pm. This exciting initiative is part of our ongoing commitment to make library resources easily accessible to students, faculty, and staff.


The visits will include interactive activities, displays, and opportunities for students to sign up for a library card, providing them with access to a wealth of literary resources. For more information, check out this link.

Wednesday April 10th- National Library Outreach Day

National Library Outreach Day (formerly National Bookmobile Day) celebrates library outreach and the dedicated library professionals who are meeting their patrons where they are. Whether it's a bookmobile stop at the local elementary school, services provided to community homes, or library pop-ups at community gatherings, these services are essential to the community. Each year, National Library Outreach Day is celebrated on Wednesday of National Library Week. In 2022, National Library Outreach Day will be April 6, 2022. 

National Library Outreach Day is an opportunity for library advocates to make their support known—through thanking library staff, writing a letter or e-mail to their libraries, or voicing their support to community leaders.

National Library Outreach Day is coordinated by the ALA Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services (ODLOS), the Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services (ABOS), and the Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL).

Thursday April 11th- Take Action for Libraries

Library advocates across the country stand united on Take Action for Libraries Day, an annual day of action during National Library Week! From Congress to local library boards, our elected officials need to hear from library supporters at all levels of government. This year, advocates are joining together to tell Congress to protect the freedom to read and stand against censorship. Threats to the right to read have increased dramatically in recent years, and Congress must stand against any attempts to restrict intellectual freedom. Use our tools below to take action and remind Congress why the freedom to read must be protected. 

Tell Congress to stand with school libraries

Library champions in Congress just reintroduced critical legislation to support school libraries and students' freedom to read! The Right to Read Act, introduced by Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and Rep Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ-7) would create protections for school librarians and students' right to read, as well as require every student to have access to a school library, staffed by a certified school librarian. This legislation has the potential to impact millions of students across the country, providing a much-needed infusion of funding for school libraries, and a huge step forward in the fight against censorship. ALA is urging members of Congress to stand with school librarians, students, and other educators nationwide by cosponsoring this legislation - take action and urge your members of Congress to sign on!

Bring Congress to your library

Invite your members of Congress to a virtual or in-person tour of your library! Showcasing the successes - and needs - of your library to your elected officials is a great way to establish relationships with elected leaders. Check out the in-person tour checklist, and learn more about how to successfully welcome Congress into your library with our dedicated tour resource page which includes recorded sample tours. 

Librarian

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Emma Sobczak Schell
Contact:
Belk Library and Information Commons, Room 146
Online Office Hours: Tuesdays 10am-12pm
https://appstate.zoom.us/j/8282626903
(828)262-6903