Today’s library workers play a critical role in meeting the needs of the communities they serve, from offering social service support and health services to career and small business development assistance and tools to help combat fake news. April 10 is National Library Workers Day (NLWD), a time to recognize library professionals for their expertise and leadership skills in transforming lives and communities through education and lifelong learning. The day also reminds the public that library workers serve as community compasses that lead users to endless opportunities for engagement, enrichment and development.
There are approximately 300,000 library staff members working in all types of libraries, including academic, public, school, government and special libraries such as military and prison libraries. In a time of fake news, academic librarians are teaching college students how to evaluate online sources and identify valid and reliable data. With today’s social change, public librarians are providing welcoming spaces and collections to an increasingly diverse population. School librarians are working to ensure students have equitable access to resources, technology and skills necessary for success in college, career and beyond.
To show appreciation for library workers and the work they do throughout the year, library users are invited to “Submit a Star” by providing a testimonial about a favorite library employee at ala-apa.org/nlwd/#galaxy. Examples of nominations can include how library staff helped with learning 3D printing or writing a resume. Each testimonial will be posted in the “Galaxy of Stars” on the NLWD website to honor deserving library workers. To follow or post on Twitter, use the hashtag #librarystars.
Those celebrating National Library Workers Day can also share their celebrations on Twitter, using #NLWD18, and/or posting to the NLWD Facebook page, facebook.com/NationalLibraryWorkersDay. For more information, please visit ala-apa.org/nlwd/.
Established in 2003, the purpose of National Library Workers Day is to acknowledge all library workers, including librarians, support staff and others who make library service possible every day. NLWD is held annually during National Library Week (April 8 – 14). NLWD is sponsored by the American Library Association-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA).
This year marks the 60th anniversary of National Library Week. First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is observed each April by the American Library Association and libraries across the country. National Library Week celebrations include the release of the ALA’s 2018 “State of America’s Libraries Report,” April 9; National Bookmobile Day, April 11; and Take Action for Libraries Day, April 12. In addition, April is School Library Month, which is sponsored by the American Association of School Librarians, a division of the ALA.
The ALA-APA is a nonprofit professional organization established “to promote the mutual professional interests of librarians and other library workers.” The ALA-APA is a companion organization to the American Library Association, which is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 57,000 members.