Show Your Library Some Love at National Library Week

Library lovers should take note — National Library Week is just around the corner, taking place April 19-26. The Santa Barbara Public Library (SBPL) will hold events and partner with local businesses to celebrate the essential and beloved role the library plays in our community. The Goleta Valley Library is also commemorating the week by handing out swag and hosting a poetry reading in collaboration with UCSB Reads.

National Library Week is held annually and led by the American Library Association. This year’s theme is “Find Your Library Joy!”

“It’s just so positive and fun and beautiful,” said Caitlin Fitch, a representative for the SBPL. “These times can be challenging, so finding a little joy at the library is a great thing for everybody.”

The SBPL will kick off the festivities a day early with their annual Día del Niño/Día de los Libros event on Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Families are invited to gather at the Central Library for a day of fun activities dedicated to children, including a talent show, face-painting and crafts, a Youth Makers Market, and a live performance by magician Zany Zoe. 

Next up is a special Library on the Go visit to the Montecito Family YMCA, at 3 p.m. on April 20. As the YMCA unveils a new ‘Free Little Library,’ attendees can get their own library card, check out books for all ages, doodle on library-themed coloring pages, and more

On Wednesday, April 22, 6 p.m., the SBPL will host an encore screening of The Librarians, a documentary about librarians facing book bans and fighting back. The film examines nationwide censorship with a focus on challenges in Florida and Texas, where books about race and the LBGT community are being targeted for removal. The screening will be held at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s new Film Center. 

“Libraries are all about free access to information,” said Fitch. “Being able to have this movie screened right downtown reminds people about the importance of libraries and the importance of intellectual freedom.”

From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on April 23, the SBPL is hosting Lotería on the patio of Shalhoob’s in the Funk Zone. Once again, the Library on the Go will be on the scene. 

The final event of the week is Open Mic Night, set for 6 p.m. on April 24. Community members will take stage at the Central Library’s Fireplace Room, celebrating self-expression and library joy.

A number of local businesses have donated prizes — including sunset cruise tickets aboard the Double Dolphin, Ice in Paradise skating lessons, and a Blenders in the Grass gift card — for a raffle the SBPL is hosting at all branches and locations. Any time you visit the library, fill out an entry card sharing your “library joy” for the chance to win. 

Moreover, several businesses will give discounts to those who present their library card at checkout throughout the week. Yoga Soup, Chaucer’s Books, and Mizza Pizza are offering 10 percent off deals, and Fieldtrip Pocket Shop will give all library cardholders a free bookmark. Sullivan Goss is donating 10 percent of all book sales to the Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation.

The Goleta Valley Library (GVL) is also taking part in the celebrations. Staff will be handing out National Library Week swag at the GVL Express, the library’s temporary site at 6500 Hollister Avenue. 

On April 22, GVL is hosting a Community Poetry Reading in collaboration with UCSB Reads. The event takes place from 4 to 5:15 p.m. at the UCSB Library. Shirley Geok-lin Lim, an American Book Award–winning writer and UCSB Professor Emerita, and Santa Barbara Poet Laureate George Yatchisin will share poems alongside readings by selected community members. 

Libraries are special places. They’re monuments to learning and curiosity, full of books that entertain, delight, comfort, challenge, and broaden horizons. They’re true community centers, providing vital social services to a wide range of Santa Barbara residents. They are that rare institution where all are welcome to visit and spend time at no cost whatsoever. National Library Week is an opportunity to join friends and neighbors to honor whatever the library means to you.

“It’s a great time to celebrate our library and to celebrate the people who work here, and to celebrate the fact that we have a community that really supports our library here in Santa Barbara,” said Fitch. 

“Come back; keep using the library,” she added. “We love to see you here!”

See library.santabarbaraca.gov.