National Library Week is the perfect opportunity to celebrate the magic of books, reading, and the incredible resources libraries have to offer! Whether it’s a grand adventure to a historical library or a week of fun, library-themed challenges in your classroom, there are so many ways to get your students excited about reading and learning.
Here’s a collection of creative and varied ideas to help you plan an unforgettable National Library Week celebration with your students!
1. Field Trip to a Unique or Historical Library
If you’re able to, a field trip to a special library can turn National Library Week into an exciting adventure. Some libraries are housed in historical buildings, have unique collections, or offer cool exhibits that will spark your students’ imaginations!
- Activity Idea: Research local libraries that might offer something special, like a rare book room, themed exhibits, or even a library with an impressive architectural design. If possible, plan a field trip to one of these unique spots.
- Bonus Idea: If a physical trip isn’t possible, explore virtual field trips to famous libraries around the world! Libraries like the Library of Congress or The British Library offer online tours that give students a peek into these world-renowned institutions without leaving the classroom.
2. School Library Scavenger Hunt
During National Library Week turn your school library into a treasure hunt zone with a scavenger hunt that encourages students to explore all the amazing resources right at their fingertips.
- Activity Idea: Create a scavenger hunt list of things students need to find in the school library. These could include items like a nonfiction book about animals, a mystery novel, a book with a blue cover, or a biography of a famous inventor. The list can be customized to fit your students’ reading levels and interests.
- Bonus Idea: Add an extra twist by including library-specific tasks, like asking a librarian for help finding a book or identifying a special library resource, such as a database or digital media center. Be considerate and let your school librarian know about the special challenge before your class arrives; she might be extra busy during National Library Week.
3. Mystery Book Checkout
Put a fun twist on book checkouts by turning it into a mystery activity. This adds an element of surprise and excitement for your students when selecting new reading material during National Library Week.
- Activity Idea: Wrap several books in brown paper, labeling each one with a few cryptic clues about its genre or topic (for example: “I have dragons and sword fights” or “You’ll meet a clever detective”). Students pick a mystery book to check out without knowing what the cover looks like! Once they unwrap their book, they’ll have a surprise reading adventure waiting for them.
- Bonus Idea: Encourage students to write short reviews of their mystery books once they’ve finished reading. They can present their reviews to the class, and other students can decide if they’d like to read that book next.
4. Online Library Exploration
If your school has a tech center or you have access to tablets/computers in your classroom, take advantage of the wealth of online libraries and digital resources out there. This is a fantastic way to introduce students to the idea that libraries aren’t just physical buildings—they’re also gateways to a world of online knowledge!
- Activity Idea: Set up a tech station where students can explore websites like Project Gutenberg (a free online library with thousands of classic books), Epic (which offers free e-books for kids), or Open Library. Allow students to search for a specific book, read a chapter, or find out how they can access other books on their own devices at home.
- Bonus Idea: Create a challenge where students need to find an e-book on a certain topic (like space or famous explorers) and share one new fact they learned with the class.
5. Classroom Library Transformation
Why not give your classroom library a special makeover for National Library Week? A few simple decorations or a new way to organize books can get students excited to pick out their next read.
- Activity Idea: Let students take ownership of the space by helping decorate the classroom library. They could create genre signs, decorate book bins, or design “recommended reads” posters for books they love. You could even have a genre-of-the-day display, where students vote on a genre (like fantasy or historical fiction) to highlight and feature books from that category for the day.
- Bonus Idea: Create a book recommendation station where students can write short reviews on index cards and pin them to a board. This encourages students to take an active role in recommending books to their peers!
6. Library-Themed STEM Challenge
Reading and STEM? Absolutely! Libraries are a treasure trove of knowledge on all subjects, so why not combine literacy and STEM in a creative challenge for National Library Week?
- Activity Idea: Organize a “Build a Book Bridge” STEM challenge. Students will read a nonfiction book or article about famous bridges, engineering, or architecture. Then, using materials like popsicle sticks, string, or cardboard, they will design and build their own bridges. The catch? Their bridge must be able to support the weight of a stack of books!
- Bonus Idea: Students can research famous libraries or historical buildings as part of the project and present their findings to the class. This could even inspire their bridge designs!
7. Author Spotlight: Bring a Favorite Author to Life
Celebrate National Library Week by introducing your students to the works of a particular author—someone who they might not be familiar with but would love to discover!
- Activity Idea: Choose an author (maybe one you’ve been reading in class or someone whose books are available in the school library) and do a mini-spotlight on their life and works. Read aloud from their books, share fun facts about their writing process, and encourage students to check out other books they’ve written.
- Bonus Idea: Have students design book jackets for one of the author’s books. They can write a summary, draw cover art, and include their own “author bio” on the back!
Need an author recommendation? I’ve got you covered. These are my two favorite author collections, Kate DiCamillo and Roald Dahl!
For more ideas on author studies, check out this blog post!
8. Book Character Day
Bring the pages of books to life by hosting a Book Character Day as part of your National Library Week celebration. It’s a fun way to engage students in thinking more deeply about the characters they love, and what kids doesn’t get excited about a dress up day!
- Activity Idea: Have students dress up as their favorite book character for the day. Whether it’s Harry Potter, Pippi Longstocking, or Katniss Everdeen, let students share why they chose their character and present a quick summary of the book to their classmates.
- Bonus Idea: Take it further by organizing a character parade through the hallways or have students write a diary entry from their character’s point of view, reflecting on a key event from the story.
9. Library-Themed Reading Challenges
Keep the spirit of National Library Week alive by organizing a reading challenge that promotes both independent reading and teamwork.
- Activity Idea: Create a “Library Bingo” card where students can mark off squares for completing various reading tasks, like reading a book with a mystery, reading a book by a new author, or asking the librarian for a recommendation. Students can work toward a special prize by completing a row or filling their entire card.
- Bonus Idea: Make it a team challenge! Divide students into groups and assign a different challenge to each team, like reading four books by the same author or reading books about different countries. Track their progress throughout the week and have a celebration at the end to showcase all the books they’ve read.
Make National Library Week Unforgettable!
National Library Week is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the joy of reading and the importance of libraries in our communities. Whether you’re going on a field trip, setting up a scavenger hunt, or diving into digital libraries, these ideas will help you make the most of this special week with your students.
So, dust off those library cards and get ready for a National Library Week full of books, challenges, and adventures that will inspire your students to love the library even more!
What are your favorite ways to celebrate National Library Week? Let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear your ideas!