Library Lovers Month

Library lovers, unite: this month is your month. And since it’s your month, you can decide how to celebrate it. Of course, if you need a starting point, you can always…

Organize a sleepover at your local library. With the library’s permission, gather up a group of friends and advertise the sleepover. Have book lovers bring their favorite sleeping bag and bookmark for an all-night read-a-thon. Bonus: make it a fundraiser for the library by charging an admission fee or having people get pledges for pages read.

Write a love letter to the library, or your favorite librarian. Make it heartfelt, expressing how much you appreciate the library—or, if you know the person well, make it as silly as you like. Embellish it with plenty of lace, red ribbon, and other Valentine-y decorations.

Make sure your library participates. Make “Library Lovers Month” posters and hang them up around the library. Leave pens dangling from the posters with string so people can write love letters to the library. Have patrons buy a heart for a dollar to put their names on and post on the walls, the proceeds going to the library. Host a “Reasons Why I Love the Library” essay or poetry contest with different categories for adults and children. Produce a simple newsletter detailing all of the things that your library does for the community, including information people may not know about, such as tax documents or interlibrary loans.

Pay your late fees. Many people let it slip by, but the library uses those fees to buy new materials. Try to keep up with late fees—and with bringing books in on time.

Buy your librarian lunch. It doesn’t have to be a lot—make a homemade sandwich, pick up something from the local deli, whatever. Just let him or her know that he or she is in your thoughts.

Volunteer at the library. Maybe you can help bind book covers to books (it’s easy!), print out schedules, organize the shelves, or spruce up the children’s section. Maybe you could even help decorate for monthly holidays.

Start a reading group. Center it around a theme—fantasy books, romance novels, whatever—and meet once a month at the library to discuss your book. Extend an open invitation to anyone at the library.

Attend story times. Even if you’re not a kid, these can be a lot of fun! Listen to the stories, which are often centered around a monthly theme, and offer to volunteer with helping the kids with their craft after the stories.