By Shannon Hicks

National Library Week was an idea first introduced in 1958 by the American Library Association. The ALA decided to choose one week each spring, generally the first full week of April, to celebrate the contributions of the nation’s libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support.

In the 1950s, research showed that Americans were spending less on books and more on radios, televisions, and musical instruments. While none of these diversions were harmful — in fact, the musical instruments in particular encouraged creativity — it also meant that if less was being spent on books, then less time was being dedicated to reading.

The American Library Association and the American Book Publishers formed a non-profit organization called the National Book Committee. Among the committee’s goals was a commitment to encourage people to read in their increasing leisure time, to improve incomes and health, and to develop a 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 the ALA and with help from the Advertising Council, the first National Library Week was observed in 1958. Its theme was “Wake Up and Read!”

The event was repeated in 1959, the same year the ALA Council voted to continue the annual celebration. While the National Book Committee disbanded in 1974, ALA has continued with full sponsorship of National Library Week.

This year’s celebration kicked off on Saturday, April 8, and the national theme this year was “Read! Learn! Connect... @the Library.” Libraries of all types across the country — whether public or school libraries — worked with an assortment of civic groups in once again celebrating the longevity of the lending library, an institution first introduced by Benjamin Franklin over 200 years ago.

The 2000 national theme was a starting point for groups to highlight the variety of resources available to children and their families.

The Newtown Woman’s Club, a local chapter of the Greater Federation of Woman’s Clubs, joined C.H. Booth Library in Newtown in embracing the week of April 8-15, National Library Week. On Wednesday, April 12, the library hosted a special story telling and music program by Mary Jo Maichak. Ms Maichak used song, dance, and drama to entertain her audience during her performances of The Tailor and The Paper Bag Princess.

The club and the town library also sponsored a read-a-thon for students in all the second grade classes of Newtown. Club members visited the four public elementary schools in town as well as St Rose School to present readings of stories for their young audiences. At Head O’Meadow School, school librarians also arranged to have poetry read by the club members to tie the readings in with April’s designation as National Poetry Month.

While National Library Week was designated four-plus decades ago to celebrate the contributions of all types of libraries and librarians, it is also an important time for ALA to remind the public that the existence of a free lending library should never be taken for granted.

“Libraries build community,” current ALA president Sarah Ann Long wrote earlier this year. “Libraries have always been the hearts of the geographic community as well as the virtual community: the nerve center, mission control, the nucleus, the core.

“From this central point,” she continued, “libraries can reach out to all people. We can partner, make alliances, embrace and present all opinions. In person and online, libraries connect even the smallest communities with the whole world of ideas and information with each other.”

By spending just a small amount of time with some of the smallest readers in Newtown last week, the ladies of Newtown Women’s Club did their best to remind the youngsters of the power of reading... which can always be practiced, free of charge, at C.H. Booth Library or any local library.