National Library Week

April 19 - 25, 2026

Happy National Library Week!

National Library Week, started in 1958, is an annual celebration highlighting the valuable role libraries, librarians, and library workers play in transforming lives and strengthening our communities.

We find our joy in the library and we hope you do too.

Monday is Right to Read Day, a day for readers, advocates, and library lovers to take action to protect, defend, and celebrate the right to read. In 2025, 4,235 unique titles challenged, the second highest ever documented by ALA. Libraries around the world celebrate Banned Book Week every year in late September or early October.

The East Kingston Public Library physically holds approximately 23,700 books, DVDs, periodicals, and audiobooks. While our collection might be smaller than many, we can surely find something for everyone!

This is also an amazing time to give a shout out to our amazing NH State Library for providing us with a seamless Interlibrary Loan (ILL) system that we would be lost without. Don't see the book you want on our shelves? ILL allows us to request from libraries, public or academic, all over the state.

Tuesday is National Library Workers Day!

Zoe: I like to take days like today to showcase my amazing staff. In small libraries like EKPL, librarians and library staff have to wear many different hats during their shifts. I am so incredibly lucky to have a crew that is close knit and willing to help out where help is needed. We work hard to make sure that EKPL is a helpful and friendly resource for the EK community. Even Biscuit does his part!

Wednesday is National Library Outreach Day, a day to celebrate library outreach and the dedicated library professionals who are meeting their patrons where they are. While EKPL does not have specific outreach librarians, we do our very best to show up for our community. It's the biggest plus side to having librarians that live in the town we work!

Thursday is Take Action for Libraries Day, a day to rally advocates to support libraries. While it's always good to be up to date on upcoming or current legislation moving through our government, it also means showing your support for the library in your community.

This week, we put up a board by the main entrance and left packs of sticky notes for patrons to write how the library brings them joy. Stop by to add yours and read the notes that others have left!

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