National Library Week
Celebrate National Library Week April 19-25, 2026, with the theme “Find Your Joy” and Honorary Chair Mychal Threets!
National Library Week is an annual celebration highlighting the valuable role libraries and library professionals play in transforming lives and strengthening our communities.
Monday, April 20: Right to Read Day, a day for readers, advocates, and library lovers to take action to protect, defend, and celebrate the right to read. The American Library Association (ALA) kicks off National Library Week with the release of its State of America’s Libraries Report, including the list of Top Ten Most Challenged Books of 2025.
Tuesday, April 21: National Library Workers Day, a day for library staff, users, administrators, and Friends groups to recognize the valuable contributions made by all library workers.
Wednesday, April 22: National Library Outreach Day (formerly National Bookmobile Day), a day to celebrate library outreach and the dedicated library professionals who are meeting their patrons where they are.
Thursday, April 23: Take Action for Libraries Day, a day to rally advocates to support libraries.
In the mid-1950s, research showed that Americans were spending less on books and more on radios, televisions and musical instruments. Concerned that Americans were reading less, the ALA and the American Book Publishers formed a nonprofit citizens organization called the National Book Committee in 1954. The committee’s goals were ambitious. They ranged from “encouraging people to read in their increasing leisure time” to “improving incomes and health” and “developing strong and happy family life.”
In 1957, the committee developed a plan for National Library Week based on the idea that once people were motivated to read, they would support and use libraries. With the cooperation of ALA and with help from the Advertising Council, the first National Library Week was observed in 1958 with the theme “Wake Up and Read!” The 2024 celebration marked the 66th anniversary of the first event.
Award-winning librarian, author, and new host of the children’s program “Reading Rainbow” Mychal Threets will serve as Honorary Chair of National Library Week.
“Find Your Joy,” is an invitation for people of all backgrounds to explore and discover what sparks joy in them at the library. The theme amplifies a message that is ever-present in Threets’ recurring viral videos about the innumerable ways people can find joy in the library, and in his debut picture book, I’m So Happy You’re Here: A Celebration of Library Joy, publishing on February 3, 2026.