What does Library Week mean to you?  

Working in a library presents many rewards and challenges. Libraries have entered the national discourse regarding the content of their materials, the role of librarians, and the purpose of libraries in the modern era. It is not to say that these debates are unimportant, but a sensational idea of libraries is being fought over, while the day-to-day reality of library management is left behind. Real people, with a real passion for increasing access to knowledge are pushed to the side and treated as pawns in these abstract political debates. As the American Library Association, the original sponsors of the event, put it, National Library Week, “is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation’s libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support.  All types of libraries – academic, public, school, and special – participate.” With National Library Week beginning next week, we thought we might discuss some of the history behind the event, and what it means to us today as librarians working in 2024.  

The origins of national library week have to do with research emerging in the 1950s that showed libraries were spending more money on electronic devices (TV’s and radios) and less money on books. This research sparked a concern that Americans were reading less, and along with this trend would come a decline in support for libraries. In 1957, ALA’s partnership with the American Book Publishers, the National Book Committee, met to plan for the launch of National Library week. In 1958, the first National Library Week was observed under the theme “Wake up and Read!” The goal was to emphasize the hsoryistory of national library week (ALA National Library Week History, 2024) 

In 1974, the National Book Committee disbanded, and ALA took over the full management of National Library Week. The theme for 2024’s library week is: Ready, Set, Library! For this year, “National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and Newbery and Pura Belpré-award winning author Meg Medina will serve as 2024 Honorary Chair.” At the origins of National Library Week, a more conservative stance towards the expansion of library services beyond book-lending was taken. Fortunately, the National Book Committee’s prediction that this expansion would lead to a decline in support for libraries proved to be untrue. As Medina expands upon the theme, she demonstrates how one can embrace and celebrate the evolving role of libraries in our rapidly changing society. She writes:  

From book groups to lending sports equipment to providing a safe after-school hangout space and so much more, libraries support us wherever we find ourselves on the roadmap through life’s journey. Join me and the American Library Association in celebrating the gift of libraries everywhere and the adventures and opportunities they unlock for us every day. Ready, Set, Library! (ALA National Library Week, 2024) 

Seeing as we are a library here at the Riverside County Law Library. We thought we would add some of the perspectives of the library staff on the meaning of National Library Week:  

“National Library week is important to me because I think libraries are important. Libraries are for everyone, and represent many things: diversity, community, inclusivity, and learning. I am proud to be a librarian and have worked in both public and law libraries.”  

 Quote by Andy Valencia, Riverside User Experience Librarian 

“With freedom, books, flowers and the moon who could not be happy?” 

“There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written or badly written.” 

-Both by Oscar Wilde  

Quotes compiled by Laura Whyte, Indio Law Library-Assistant I.  

“Libraries have given me the opportunity to meet and interact with people I would have never been able to otherwise because of their openness to the public. National Library Week is a moment to be grateful for these opportunities that libraries provide.”  

Quote by Rhonda Cloud, Acquisitions and Metadata Librarian 

“Libraries are one of the last true third spaces in society that welcomes everyone from all walks of life and allows them to engage in lifelong learning and meaningful connection within their community.”  

 Quote by James Phaphone, Library Assistant  
James also found a quote from the book called The Library book:  

“The publicness of the public library is an increasingly rare commodity. It becomes harder all the time to think of places that welcome everyone and don’t charge any money for that warm embrace”  

– Susan Orlean from “The Library Book” 

“For those of us who have come to discover a love and a safe haven in books and even information/ technology hubs, libraries offer both, serving as an anchor and a beacon of justice and progress in our society. They carry a gentle, yet constant reminder of how society progresses when they have the right tools, the right resources, an inquisitive mindset, and a good heart. Here at RCLL, Library Week reminds us of a time, a place, and a face that we know we can rely on because we believe in the power of knowledge and the law, intellectual exploration, problem-solving, kindness, and the lifelong journey of inquiry. Furthermore, as a librarian, I believe that Library Week is a necessity because it not only acknowledges the impact and weight the presence of a library carries for a better humanity, but it also encourages us to intellectualize who we are internally, challenging us every year, book by book, to hone our intellectual craft for the sake of the better well-being of the community, ourselves, and our loved ones.” 

Quote by Soraya Andriamiarisoa, Electronic Services Librarian 

Every year, from Sunday, April 7th to Sunday, April 13th, National Library Week celebrates libraries for all that they do for their communities. So, go out and support your local libraries next week! 

Co-written by Yanis Azzou