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 Party at Belk Library front steps, Hickory Library, and the Music Library. Moon pie giveaway while supplies last!!
*Hickory Library Event- April 8th 9-5pm- National Library Week Story Time- The Hickory Library will be hosting a Day of Read Aloud!
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.
* Hickory Library Event- Catawba Library 2 Go- 12-2pm- Catawba County Public Library's outreach van will be at the North Parking Lot to sign students up for public library cards.
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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!”
American Library Association. (2024, April 28). National Library Week. https://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/natlibraryweek
"To kick off National Library Week last year, we issued a call to action for readers, advocates, and library lovers everywhere to stand up to censorship as part of a national day of action. We called it Right to Read Day, and thousands of you answered the call.
Let's do it again.
Over the last few years, censors have accelerated their attempts to remove or restrict books and programs in schools and public libraries. In 2023, the American Library Association documented efforts to censor 4,240 unique book titles in schools and public libraries, a stratospheric increase from 2022's previous record of 2,571 unique titles.
Organized pressure groups have used their power—and long lists of titles—to wage an aggressive campaign to empty library shelves of all books they deem inappropriate instead of allowing people to decide for themselves what they and their children read. These groups have redirected their aim from schools to public libraries, which saw a 92% increase in the number of titles challenged over the previous year. Nearly half of the titles impacted were by or about LGBTQIA+ individuals and people of color.
On #RightToReadDay, Monday, April 8, we're asking you to take action and raise your voice for the right to read.
To start, we're contacting Congress."
Unite Against Book Bans. (2024, March 28). Right to Read Day. https://uniteagainstbookbans.org/right-to-read-day/
2024 Solar Eclipse [Online image]. (2024). NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio. https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/where-when/
Join us throughout the University Libraries (Belk Library front steps, Hickory Library, and the Music Library) at 3:11pm and Moon pies (while supplies last). *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).
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.
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.
American Library Association. (2024, March 28). National Library Workers Day. https://ala-apa.org/nlwd/
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.
"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 2024, National Library Outreach Day will be April 10.
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)."
American Library Association. (2024, March 28). National Library Outreach Day. https://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/natlibraryweek/national-library-outreach-day