When people think February, they think pink hearts, Valentine’s Day, and all of the chocolate covered strawberries they can eat. Many people also know that February is also Black History Month, which celebrates the amazing accomplishments of African Americans throughout history. However, most people are unaware to the fact that the bookworms of America have also identified February as National Library Lovers’ Month – who knew?
The American Library Association (ALA) created this national celebration to help raise awareness about how people can help their local libraries, what events are happening at libraries across the countries, and to help us remember where our love for reading came from before the age of the e-book.
Photo courtesy of Taylor Thomas
A Brief History of the ALA
According to the American Library Association, they are the oldest and biggest library association in the entire world. They were founded on October 6th, 1876 with a mission to “provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.” In the more recent years, they have put forth a plan to improve what they call “Key Action Areas,” which include diversity, literacy, intellectual freedom, and organizational excellence, to name a few. The ALA Council and Executive Board govern and establish policies for the association nationwide in order to fulfill all of these goals that the association strives to achieve. In short, the ALA has always been an advocate for the improvement of literacy and other areas to get Americans excited about and able to keep reading.
Photo courtesy of Taylor Thomas
How Do I Celebrate National Library Lovers’ Month?
The most important part of celebrating National Library Lovers’ Month is to attend events at your local library, donate when you can, and KEEP GOING TO THE LIBRARY! The original goal of libraries everywhere was to provide knowledge to everyone everywhere, and that goal can only be continued if all of us keep going to the libraries. They can’t thrive if we don’t participate in what they do. Go check out a book that you’ve never heard of or a classic favorite to celebrate, which will bring you oodles of joy and will help the library stay the wonderful place it is – it’s a win-win!
Some of my favorite memories of when I was a kid are participating in the summer reading programs and going to book readings with my grandmother at the local library. My younger brothers go to the library programs sometimes at the local libraries as well, and it is a really fun experience that brings the excitement of reading to children and adults everywhere. Long story short, libraries are important – go check one out!
All information courtesy of www.ala.org/aboutala/