Library Card Sign-up Month

Library Card Sign-up Month is the perfect time to visit your nearest library and delve into 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 highlighted that libraries are the best places to discover fascinating stories.

History

Library Card Sign-up Month is arguably the most important event of the library year. For over 35 years, libraries across America have united in September to attract new readers. The initiative began in 1987, proposed by then-Secretary of Education William Bennett, who 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, opening up a limitless universe of fascinating stories and answers to many questions.
• The first library was established in 2600 BC. These were large archives containing clay tablets with information inscribed in cuneiform.
• In Egypt, important temple and government records were kept on papyrus.
• One of the largest libraries in history, the Library of Alexandria, was located in Egypt and was tragically destroyed in 30 BC.

How to join Library Card Sign-up Month

Visit your local library and borrow some books in your favorite genre. If you don’t have a library card, now is the perfect time to get one. Participate in an information campaign to help libraries attract new readers. How? Prepare leaflets, brochures, and postcards and distribute them to people. You can also prepare emails and send them to your friends and followers on social media.

When is Library Card Sign-up Month in 2024?

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

Observations