8 Ideas for School Library Month and National Library Week

As a librarian, you likely spend many weeks and months a year celebrating the library, books, and reading in general. Therefore, April may not seem particularly special. However, April is School Library Month and also contains National Library Week, which gives you the chance to spread your passion for the library and invite others to join in the celebration.

What is School Library Month and National Library Week?

School Library Month was started by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) to celebrate school librarians and libraries across the country. The idea is to encourage the school and community to celebrate the role libraries play in learning and education.

National Library Week is an annual celebration started by the American Library Association (ALA). This week promotes the valuable role of librarians, libraries, and library workers in transforming their communities.

In 2024, National Library Week is from April 7-13, and the theme is “Ready, Set, Library”. You can find out more on the ALA’s website, along with social media graphics and dates for future National Library Week celebrations.

Activities for Library Celebrations

Whether you plan to spend the whole month celebrating or just a week, I highly recommend planning ahead and getting your community involved! This can mean inviting parents, staff, and students to participate in library celebrations.

Here are a few ideas to help you plan for School Library Month and National Library week:

1. Masked Reader

This fun activity is a great way to get your entire school community involved in National Library Week without spending a ton of time or preparation.

Select five teachers, administrators, or staff members at school to read a poem each day of the week (also a great way to celebrate Poetry Month). They can read the poem over the loudspeaker or have them record a short video in advance. However, the person should “mask” themselves in some way.

For example, if they are reading over the loudspeaker, they can use a silly voice. If they are recording themselves, they can wear a mask and a costume. Then, students will vote on who they think the masked reader is.

You can have the classroom teacher report their votes via email or a Google Form. The winning class each day can receive a small prize. To make it fair across all grade levels, you can give students a list of people to choose from when voting on the masked reader.

2. Book Tasting

Hosting a book tasting is a great way to introduce students to new books and celebrate all of the resources that the library has to offer. You can make this activity as simple or lively as you want! I recommend grabbing books from various different genres and using some type of recording sheet so students can take notes on the books.

You can implement this book tasting when students visit the library, invite classes to visit, or even include it during a library family night. Read more about hosting a book tasting on this blog post.

3. Book Walk

A book walk is a fun way to dive deeper into a specific story. This activity forces students to slow down, think about what they’ve read, and engage in discussion. Use this activity during National Library Week to share one of your favorite stories or a popular book.

Then, you can discuss the theme of the week, “There’s More to the Story,” and encourage students to dive deeper with inferences, predictions, and more. You can read more about how to put together a book walk on the blog.

4. Reading Challenge

Get your entire community involved in a reading challenge! You can make this elaborate with a whole bingo board and prizes throughout School Library Month or National Library week. Or you can keep it simple by sending home a checklist.

Either way, encourage students to read for a certain amount of time each day, try new books, or read a set number of pages for the month. You can use this free reading log during the reading challenge.

5. Book Reviews

Create a unique bulletin board or display during National Library Week by having the entire school write book reviews! Send slips of paper or notecards to each classroom, and encourage everyone to give a review on their favorite book or a recent book they’ve read.

Then, display these on the bulletin board or in the library to inspire book ideas!

6. Send a Newsletter

One of the best ways to celebrate the library and get more people involved is simply informing them. Parents, guardians, and staff don’t know what’s happening behind your library doors unless you invite them in.

During National Library Week, send out a newsletter about what is happening in the library. Your newsletter can mention the most checked-out books, new books being added, recent lessons, and more.

7. Book Displays

Depending on how much space you have in your library, you might decide to get really hands-on during School Library Month! Ask students to create a book display featuring their favorite books and why they liked them.

This can be a great extra credit project for your students who complete lessons early or love spending time in the library. Leave the displays up for other students to read and explore new book opportunities.

8. Book Cover Contest

Finish up your National Library Week activities with a book cover contest. You can make this a school based event or even extend it to parents, if you want!

Have students, staff, and families recreate the cover of their favorite book. Then, display these alternate book covers and let people vote! You can award a small prize to the top winners or give a little something to everyone that participated.

I hope these activities have inspired you for School Library Month and National Library Week! For many of these activities, you don’t have to put in too much preparation and planning. And remember that at the end of the day, this time is simply about spreading the word and inviting others to enjoy and celebrate the library.