Library Card Sign-up Month

Library Card Sign-up Month is the perfect time to visit your local library and explore the magical world of books. In 2022, Tony Award-winning singer and actress Idina Menzel, along with her sister Kara Menzel, served as honorary chairs for the event. They emphasized that libraries are among the best places to discover fascinating stories.

History

Library Card Sign-up Month is considered one of the most significant events in the library calendar. For over 35 years, libraries across the United States have united every September to welcome new readers. The initiative began in 1987, when then-Secretary of Education William Bennett advocated for every child to own a library card.

Interesting Facts

• Former First Lady of the United States Laura Bush described libraries as chests filled with countless treasures, with the key to these treasures being a library card.
• Library Card Sign-up Month was created to introduce children to books and open up a limitless universe of stories and answers to their questions.
• The first library was established in 2600 BC as a large archive containing clay tablets inscribed in cuneiform.
• In ancient Egypt, important temple and government records were kept on papyrus.
• One of the largest libraries in history, the Library of Alexandria in Egypt, was tragically destroyed in 30 BC.

How to Celebrate Library Card Sign-up Month

Visit your local library and borrow books in your favorite genres. If you do not have a library card, this is the perfect opportunity to get one. Help promote libraries in your community by preparing and distributing informational leaflets, brochures, or postcards. You can also create emails and share them with your friends and followers on social media.

When is Library Card Sign-up Month in 2025?

Library Card Sign-up Month is observed on September 1 each year.

Observations