National Library Week - A Philatelic Tribute
Celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2008
In 1957 the National Book Committee, a joint committee of the American Library Association and the American Book Publishers Council, recommended the establishment of a National Library Week. The first National Library Week was observed May 16-22, 1958 with the theme "Wake Up and Read". It has continued every year since 1958. In 1974, the American Library Association became the sole sponsor of the event. The 50th anniversary of National Library Week will be celebrated in 2008. Click on this link to go to the American Library Association's National Library Week site.
The idea of a week to promote libraries was not new. Such a week had been promoted in Hawaii, and and in other states, as early as 1940.
The
caption reads in part: The Nation's Pacific Outpost Salutes the Nation's
Libraries and Honors Our Own Library of Hawaii. The special envelope with cachet
was sponsored by the Honolulu Junior Chamber of Commerce and the Honolulu
Advertiser Stamp Club. A
similar envelope was produced for 1941.
California
celebrated library week in 1953.
A theme was selected each year to celebrate National Library Week. Metered mail provided a great vehicle for promoting the theme. Meter stamps were first authorized by the U.S. Post Office in 1920. Meter slogans were first used in 1929. The Pitney Bowes Postage Meter Company held a virtual monopoly on meter stamps for fifty years.
The
1958 theme was "Wake Up and Read".
The
"Wake Up and Read" theme was repeated for 1959.
The
1960 National Library Week slogan on this meter stamp is "For a Better Read,
Better Informed America". However, "Open wonderful new worlds...wake up and
read" was also used.
The
1961 theme was "For a richer, fuller life, read".
The 1962 NLW theme was "Read and watch your world grow".
The
1963 NLW theme was "Read -- the fifth freedom, enjoy it". The meter slogan
on this postal card doesn't use the theme.
The 1964 NLW theme was "Reading is the key".
The 1965 NLW theme was "Open your mind -- read; Know what you're talking about -- read".
The 1966 NLW theme was "Read -- keep growing; Know what you are talking about -- read".
The
1967 NLW theme was "Explore inner space; Reading is what's happening".
The
1968 NLW theme was "Be all you can be -- read". This same theme was
repeated in 1969.
The
1970 NLW theme "Reading is for everybody" was used on this envelope in 1976 to
celebrate NLW. The actual theme for 1976 was "Information Power at the
Library? At the Library".
The
official theme for 1983 was "Go for it! Use your library". The "Look to
your library" slogan was used for this meter stamp.
The
1985 theme for NLW was "A Nation of Readers". Thanks to the efforts of the
Center for the Book at the Library of Congress, the USPS issued this stamp in
1984.
The
Ryukyu Islands issued a stamp in 1968 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of
International Library Week. At that time the Ryukyus were under the
semi-autonomous administration of the United States. Control of the
islands reverted to Japan in 1972. The "international" aspect refers to
the fact that there were both American military libraries and Japanese village
libraries on the islands. The theme for library week was the same as NLW
in the states - "Be all you can be --- Read".