April is a special time of celebration for libraries. Each April, libraries worldwide celebrate National Library Week, a week dedicated to celebrating libraries and the library workers that run them. This year, National Library Week ran from April 7th– April 13th and the theme of this year’s celebration is “Ready, Set, Library!” Award-winning author and 2024 Honorary Chair of National Library Week Meg Medina (2024), urges us to remember that “in our always-online world, libraries give us a green light to something truly special: a place to connect with others, learn new skills, and focus on what matters most” (American Library Association, 2024).
At HPU Libraries, it is easy to see what Medina is talking about. HPU Libraries encourages its community to grow through resources, services, and programs such as research appointments, skills workshops, and by using our makerspace to create new and innovative physical and digital content.
You can also meet new people through library-sponsored events such as game nights and our Panther Book Club. You can sit and read the newest fiction and non-fiction releases in our carefully curated Readerspace (L. Ksa, Personal Communication, April 4th, 2024), where you may just meet a new friend with the same interests as you. Finally, if you need a break from the chaos, the library strives to be a relaxing space where patrons can come to take a much-needed breath.
To celebrate National Library Week, HPU Libraries prepared many fun-filled events, including:
- “Library Hotspots” with free candy
- “My Favorite Thing About the Library” Photo Booth
- Blind dates with banned books
- Zine-making and archival research workshops
- A “Thank a Librarian” station
- Free Tote Bag giveaways to the first 10 patrons to check out materials each day
Many of these events ran all week long, interconnecting with other celebrations that occur during National Library Week, such as National Thank a Library Worker Day and Right to Read Day. We hope you will come to HPU Libraries to experience what makes your library that green light (American Library Association, 2024), meet the dedicated library staff that constantly strives to support the needs of its community and enjoy some fun-filled events that are commonplace at HPU Libraries.
References
American Library Association (2024.) National Library Week 2024: Ready, Set, Library! American Library Association. https://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/natlibraryweek
VanHook, C. (2013). Communities Matter [Image]. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/librariesrock/8641843538