February is National Library Lovers Month in the USA. And February 14 is a very special day for lovers…of libraries!
February 14 is Valentines Day, the day for lovers. But it is also a very special day for library lovers, too. And by that I don’t mean people who get cheeky under desks and between the stacks.
- February is National Library Lovers Month.
- February 14 is Library Lovers Day.
- February 14 is also International Book Giving Day.
- And February 14 is Read to Your Child Day.
With so much love for libraries, books and reading, you might wonder how these months and days get designated.
National Library Lovers Month 2024
Let’s begin by noting that the “National” in National Library Lovers Month refers to the United States. It was founded by Friends and Foundations of California Libraries in 2003 as a way to channel support for libraries in the state.
Since then, it has grown and is now celebrated by libraries across the USA and in other countries, such as Canada and Australia.
It really doesn’t matter where you live. If you love your library, February is your month.
Library Lovers Day 2024
That is especially true on February 14. You might be busy that day wooing a sweetheart. If so, perhaps you could make a library visit part of your itinerary. Libraries are a great place to woo a sweetheart, as Professor Harold Hill will tell you.
On the other hand, if you have no sweetheart to woo on Valentines Day, you can find plenty of romance between the pages of library books, such as:
- Pride and Prejudice
- Jane Eyre
- Gone with the Wind
- The Princess Bride
- Kiss an Angel
- Anne of Green Gables
- Sense and Sensibility
- Wuthering Heights
- Anna and the French Kiss
- Romeo and Juliet
There is just so much romance at the library.
Library Lovers Day was founded by the State Library of New South Wales in 2006. The next year, the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) took up the mantel and made it a national holiday. Since then, the idea has captured imaginations around the world.
International Book Giving Day 2024
This day has been “run” by Emma Perry of My Book Corner in the UK since 2012. It has been “brilliantly supported” by Catherine Friess of Story Snug in Germany. It’s hard to tell if anybody is running it now, but it is still very much alive.
Do you know somebody who could use a book? February 14 is the day to give a book to somebody you care about. It could be a new book. It could be a used book, even one that you’ve read and find really exciting.
Don’t recycle old books; give them to somebody you love. And if you can’t do that, give them to your local library or thrift store. Somebody will love your book.
Read to Your Child Day 2024
Those of us who are parents know that there is no love like the love for one’s child. That’s why it is heartening that Read to Your Child Day falls on Valentines Day.
When my kids were young, I used to sing them lullabies and read to them at bedtime. At least I didn’t read off key.
But it’s more than just reading to your children. Get them reading by themselves as early as possible, too.
One of the best ways to motivate children to read is to bring them to the library. There, they can choose which books they want to read. They take ownership of the books when they sign them out and bring them home. And they look forward to the next visit a week or two later to trade them in for a brand new batch of books.
Visiting the library is an event!
Good thing that Read to Your Child Day falls conveniently in the middle of National Library Lovers Month.
About David Leonhardt
