Maniac Monday: Celebrate National Library Week!

Seattle Public Library by Jeff Wilcox www.flickr.com

The town where I live in East Central Illinois has been fighting forever to get a new library. Finally, the residents in my town passed a bond issue to build a new library, and we should have one by the end of the summer–how super, super exciting! Illinois has no money to give to the new library for supplies, but somehow, miraculously, the librarians in my town make our library work and give the patrons what they need. I’m sure it will not stop now with our new facility. Librarians and libraries are amazing. What would we do without them? Seriously.

So, April 11 to April 17 is National Library Week. Your children or teens may already know this if they attend a public school. If you home school and are frequent visitors of the library, you may also be aware of this special week. The American Library Association is celebrating with the theme: “Communities thrive @your library.” On the site, you will find free promotional tools, programming ideas, events, and additional resources.

What does this theme mean to you though–communities thrive @ your library? Do you find that to be true? At a larger library in a town near me, I find this to definitely be true, and I realize how many people rely on that library (and I can’t wait for this same community-feel to be at the new library in my town). Students go to the big library to study and use the free Wi-Fi; some people go there to hang out or because it is warm and dry; parents go there on cold and rainy days with their young children to play and read in the children’s section; tweens and teens hang out after school with their friends and use the computers; and librarians provide programs and valuable information to community members. I have seen firsthand communities thriving at the library. Look at your school library or your public library–how is the community thriving?

If you haven’t checked out your library lately, please do so. Go and use it. Become a friend of the library or go to their book sales, which raise money for libraries. Donate books that you have read and are in good condition. Donate books you win on blog giveaways that may not be your cup of tea, but you wanted to support the blogger by entering. Participate in the library’s summer reading programs that are coming up–many libraries have them for children and adults. To celebrate National Library Week, do something so simple–take your kids to the library. If you are a classroom teacher, ask kids to write a paragraph on why they like the library or cool things to find at the library. You could even write thank you notes to your school librarian. The celebration doesn’t have to be elaborate for National Library Week–it just has to focus on one of the most important institutions in our communities.

How will you celebrate?

If you have tweens or teens who are using Facebook, consider purchasing the Facebook Guide for Parents at a $5.00 discount this week. See more information here.