National Library Workers Day
National Library Workers Day:
Celebrated annually in April during the Tuesday of National Library Week, National Library Workers Day is observed to acknowledge the valuable contribution of library staff and honor their hard work to sustain the reading and library community.
Twitter Hashtags:
#NationalLibraryWorkersDay
#LibraryWorkersDay
Why National Library Workers Day?
Libraries are a popular spot among book lovers and reading enthusiasts who get the chance to immerse themselves in another world. But some people maintain that world for our benefit, the Library staff, and workers. They work hard to maintain the Library culture and keep the tradition of reading and learning alive.
Libraries came into existence at least 2600 BC, and ever since have been an important spot for people to source credible information and read novels from great minds. With so much information, books, and transcripts to handle, Library workers have a huge responsibility to maintain and organize the book archives of the Library.
Library workers, on the contrary, are highly educated and well versed with different works of literature from around the world. Apart from rearranging and maintaining history for many years, Library workers play a crucial role in educating the curious youth. They help in providing the best output with relevant books for research on any topic or a piece of work by any famous literary artist. These workers also need to maintain scheduled records for borrowed books and update the directory regularly.
With so many chores to handle and management processes to maintain the Library, National Library Workers Day is created to honor these works and their contribution to society. On the Tuesday of National Library Week in April, people express gratitude towards these unsung heroes who have helped impart wisdom to so many people.
The first Library opened around 200 years ago in 1833 in the United States, and since then, the Library workers have worked relentlessly to encourage people to read. But with the decreasing number of libraries and other available places to source information, the wages of these workers are constantly impacted. National Library Workers Day aims to address this concern and bring awareness to the declining wages of these workers. It also becomes important to update these workers with better equipment and technologies that enhance their output and help them work efficiently.
With people exploring digital platforms for content sourcing and reading purposes, the tradition of the Library is getting hampered with each passing year. National Library Week was created to create awareness about this situation and help preserve the tradition of physical reading. Digital platforms have the benefits of being convenient, but the insights and valuable tools provided by the Library Workers cannot be compared to them. They play an essential role in the literary arts community, and their knowledge can be a valuable asset for people.
As the Library culture is slowing and wages for these workers decrease periodically, Library workers have seen a decline over the years. Some of the most creative and skilled minds have left the community because of these reasons. With this day, people hope to preserve the culture and express their gratitude towards these workers.
How Can We Celebrate National Library Workers Day:
- Volunteer at the Local Library
Nothing better than being a part of the culture itself. Take up voluntary work in any of the Local Libraries and experience the life of these skilled workers first-hand. If there is no local Library, search for Libraries around your city.
- Read and Share Books
Whatever may be your preference, comics or intense novels, read books and share your personal favorites with the Library workers and people in the community or around you. Creating a wholesome environment will encourage people to participate more and express respect towards these workers.
- Spread awareness
Social Media and Digital Platforms are a great place to attract more people and observe this day. It also helps sign more petitions to increase Library Worker wages and Library maintenance. Use relevant hashtags like #NationalLibraryWorkersDay, #ReadaBook, #EqualPayforLW.
Interesting Facts About National Library Workers Day:
- The first libraries consisted of writing on clay tablets that were often discovered from temple rooms of Sumer and maintained by Library workers.
- Library workers have maintained books and transcripts from ancient Greek and Roman periods all the way to current modern age writings.
- There are Library Book Vending machines in cities across the United States that allow people to purchase easily.
- One of the main reasons for National Library Workers Day is to throw light on the declining wages of these Library workers.
- Most libraries work on a subscription basis that allows people to borrow books. Hence Library workers need to maintain a catalog of records for multiple people.
History of National Library Workers Day:
On January 25, 2003, American Library Association decided to dedicate the Tuesday of National Library Week in April to Libraries’ Workers and Staff Members. This tradition started the following year in 2004 and continues to be an important day for people to express their gratitude towards these workers. The day was also created to highlight the importance of these workers and their concern for their declining wages.