ALA | National Library Week

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National Library Week - Celebrate April 11-17, 2010

Libraries are the heart of their communities. National Library Week 2010 will be celebrated with the theme, "Communities thrive @ your library."

National Library Week is an annual celebration of the contributions of our nation's libraries and librarians. All types of libraries - school, public, academic and special - participate.

Purchase National Library Week products from ALA Graphics

Neil Gaiman is Honorary Chair of National Library Week 2010 [read more]. Check back here in December for a print public service announcement featuring this Newbery Medal winning author.

Sample Media Materials

National Library Week letter-to-the-editor - English
National Library Week press release - English
National Library Week proclamation - English
National Library Week public service announcement (PSA) scripts - English

Programming ideas

How does your library help your community thrive? Brainstorm ideas on ALA Connect, a virtual, collaborative, online workspace.

Events:

April is School Library Media Month

Monday, April 12 - "The State of America's Libraries" report will be released.

Tuesday, April 13 - Celebrate ALA-APA's National Library Workers Day

Wednesday, April 14 - Celebrate the first annual National Bookmobile Day

Wednesday, April 14- ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom will release the “Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2008” list. Visit the Banned Books Week Web site.

Thursday, April 15 - Celebrate YALSA's Support Teen Literature Day

Additional resources from ALA that support the “Communities thrive @ your library” theme.

Libraries as community cultural centers

ProgrammingLibrarian.org is an online resource center developed by the ALA Public Programs Office to assist libraries in developing cultural and community programs. The site includes authoritative resources for planning, implementing and evaluating community programs.
Picturing America for Public Libraries was developed by ALA’s Public Programs Office to support community programs featuring the Picturing America collection.
Cultural Programming for Libraries: Linking Libraries, Communities & Culture, authored by our own Deb Robertson, is available from the ALA Store.
Traveling exhibits and reading and discussion programs which bring attention to the library as a community center.
Apply now for the Great Stories CLUB. (Through November 2) The program is open to public libraries, working in partnership with a local organization that serves at-risk, troubled teens. Selected libraries receive 11 sets of 3 theme-related books (chosen by a YALSA committee) with which to create a reading and discussion group with the teens.
Cultural Communities Fund was created to support libraries of all kinds as they create arts and humanities programs for their communities.

Libraries help communities thrive in tough times

Advocating in a Tough Economy Toolkit - Across the country, families are facing tough economic times. Americans are visiting their local public libraries more often and checking out items with greater frequency. This toolkit contains resources and tools, including newsclips, op-eds and statistics to help library supporters make the case for libraries in tough economic times.
View media coverage of how libraries help their communities during tough economic times

Diverse communities thrive @ your library

The American Dream Starts @ your library toolkit - America’s public libraries provide equitable access to information of all kinds. With information comes knowledge and the possibility to learn and achieve, the opportunity to work and advance, and the power to participate in the democratic process. See how the 34 libraries that received grants from Dollar General Foundation as part of this project enhanced their programs and resources for adult English language learners.

For more information check out the National Library Week Fact Sheet.

Questions about National Library Week? Contact:

Megan McFarlane
Campaign coordinator
mmcfarlane@ala.org

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