• #ExpressYourShelf this Libraries Week by taking part in CILIP’s photo campaign. Share the books that have shaped your world, taking inspiration from the BBC Novels that Shaped Our World Project. 
• Join authors, illustrators, poets and library enthusiasts as they share a behind the scenes look at the books that have influenced their lives and shaped their careers.
• Tune in to the #NationalShelfService for daily broadcasts with authors from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, including Candy Gourlay and Natascha Biebow, to find out which books have most inspired them. 
• Join a special launch event on Monday 5th October in partnership with Authors Aloud UK: ‘My Library, My Books and Me’, hosted by Annie Everall and featuring a panel of authors sharing stories about their local library, what libraries have meant to them and their favourite books.
• On Thursday 8th October, The Reading Agency invites book groups and libraries to join a nationwide virtual event with bestselling author Matt Haig, where he will read from his latest book, The Midnight Library. And the following day The Midnight Library is Book of the Week on the first episode of Between The Covers; BBC Two’s brand new seven-part series celebrating reading. Friday 9 October, 7.30pm on BBC Two.
• Discover the winners of the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Shadowers’ Choice Awards on Friday 9th October as voted for by children and young people.
• Join in the conversation and sign up for a library card this #LibrariesWeek to discover a world of reading!

This October, communities and librarians across the country are taking part in a weeklong celebration of the nation’s much-loved libraries. Libraries Week takes place between the 5th and 10th October and this year celebrates the vital role of libraries in the UK’s book culture.

Libraries Week will be a digital celebration of how libraries engage communities through their reading services, enable access to ebooks, emagazines and audiobooks, encourage digital participation and inclusion and provide a passport to reading. There is a fantastic programme of online events lined up including a behind the scenes look at authors’ bookshelves, daily broadcasts on the #NationalShelfService and a live reading of The Midnight Library by author Matt Haig.

Now more than ever, libraries have been delivering essential services to provide the nation with comfort, companionship and escapism during challenging times.
Libraries Week is organised by CILIP, the UK’s library and information association. Nick Poole, Chief Executive said:

'This year, I am proud to take a moment to celebrate everything that libraries have achieved when faced with unprecedented challenges, showing how innovative, creative and essential they are in supporting their communities. 

While the country was in lockdown, local authorities reporting increases of up to 600-700% in people registering with their local library. Through library-led initiatives such as the #NationalShelfService and #LibrariesFromHome led by our friends at Libraries Connected, you can get a sense of the sheer diversity of what libraries are doing and how quickly and creatively they have adapted their services to the digital space. 

The digital offer has been remarkable but as the nation rebuilds and libraries reopen, it is more important than ever to see the restoration of face-to-face services that allow libraries to serve all of their community. Libraries Week is a great opportunity for us to celebrate and thank librarians for the incredible work they do and to help secure the future of professionally staffed libraries.'

Libraries Minister, Caroline Dinenage, said:

‘Libraries play a hugely important role in supporting communities and providing access to culture. It is absolutely right that we take the time to celebrate the ways local services have adapted to keep the nation reading during these challenging times.

I encourage everyone to join in with the fantastic programme of events and celebrate the joy of reading for Libraries Week 2020.’

Libraries Week Events and Activities

Libraries Week launches, on Monday 5th October, with a special virtual event in partnership with Authors Aloud UK: My Library, My Books and Me. Annie Everall, OBE, Director Authors Aloud UK, is joined by Chair of the School Libraries Group, Caroline Roche, plus a fabulous panel of authors, including Carnegie Medal winners Anthony McGowan and Beverley Naidoo, Bali Rai, Jasbinder Bilan, Savita Kalhan, Philip Ardagh and poet Paul Cookson. The panel will kick off the Libraries Week celebrations, sharing stories about the libraries and books that have shaped their world. Annie Everall commented:

‘We are delighted to be working in partnership with CILIP to support Libraries Week. Libraries are the lifeblood of our communities and this has been even more apparent during the lockdown months, when library services responded magnificently, to ensure people still had access to reading materials and children to books and stories. During Libraries Week, let’s celebrate the impact books and our libraries have on our lives.’

Taking inspiration from the BBC Novels that Shaped our World project, Libraries Week is asking the nation to reflect on the books that have most influenced them and to express themselves by sharing photos of their book shelves or book stacks on social media with the hashtags #ExpressYourShelf and #LibrariesWeek. Follow the social media campaign, launching on Monday 5th October, at #ExpressYourShelf for a behind the scenes look at the bookshelves of authors, illustrators, poets and library enthusiasts as they share insights into the books and libraries that have influenced their lives. 

Tune in to CILIP’s #NationalShelfService on YouTube every day of Libraries Week for broadcasts from authors and illustrators from SCBWI (the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) sharing insights into the books that have inspired them. SCBWI Regional Advisor and children’s author Natascha Biebow, commented: 

‘As writers, illustrators and creators, SCBWI and its members are excited to showcase how books have shaped our work and our lives as part of the National Libraries Week #ExpressYourShelf campaign. Providing free lifelong access to the joy of reading, information and skills to all our young people through libraries is invaluable. Be sure to join us to share about how your favourite books have shaped you too!’

On Thursday 8th October, The Reading Agency invites book groups and libraries to join a nationwide virtual event with bestselling author Matt Haig, where he will read from his latest book, Sunday Times Number One bestseller, The Midnight Library. Matt will appear in conversation with The Reading Agency's co-founder and creative director, Debbie Hicks to discuss the book's powerful message of hope and why we must protect our libraries at all costs.

Speaking of the inspiration behind his latest book The Midnight Library (Canongate, 2020), Matt commented:

‘For me, a library is a perfect metaphor for parallel lives. Libraries are a portal to thousands of different universes. They are one place where we can go, where we are free to be ourselves and without spending any money at all we can enter and access different worlds. So when I thought of parallel lives, I instantly thought of the library.’

On Friday 9th October, the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Awards will announce the winners of the Shadowers’ Choice Awards, voted for by children and young people who take part in the Shadowing Scheme. Shadowing Groups have voted for their favourite books from the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medal shortlists and their winners will be revealed on the #NationalShelfService in an online celebration.

With fantastic book-inspired virtual events taking place in libraries across the UK, including book clubs, author talks, rhymetimes, storytelling workshops, book giveaways and quizzes, there is plenty to discover this #LibrariesWeek.

This year, Libraries Week is sponsored by Nielsen Book and OverDrive. Nielsen Book has been at the heart of the book industry for more than 100 years, working with libraries around the world as a global provider of search, discovery, commerce and research services. Nielsen Book is supporting Libraries Week for the third year running alongside OverDrive, the leading digital reading platform for libraries and schools worldwide and creator of Libby, the award-winning one-tap reading app from your local library. OverDrive is dedicated to creating ‘a world enlightened by reading’ by making it as easy as possible for library users and staff to experience the benefits of digital reading including ebooks, audiobooks and video streaming.

Join in the #LibrariesWeek conversation and sign up for a library card today to discover a world of reading.