National Library Week takes place every year in April (this year it’s April 19 – 25), highlighting the valuable role libraries and our teams play in transforming lives and strengthening communities. This year’s theme, “Find Your Joy,” is all about discovering what makes you feel inspired, connected, and at home. Libraries are perfectly situated to help you do just that.
Libraries are places to connect, explore, and feel a sense of belonging. Whether it’s discovering a new story, attending a program, using a meeting room, or simply spending time in a welcoming space, there are countless ways to experience joy at your library.
Want to support your library locally? Here are a few simple ways:
- Visit the library and bring a friend!
- Share what the library means to you on social media (and tag us!).
- Sign up for a library card or help someone else get one.
- Attend an event or class. Browse upcoming events!
- Use library spaces like meeting rooms and study areas.
- Stay informed and make your voice heard—be sure you’re registered to vote.
Every time you walk through our doors or use our services, you help keep the library strong, vibrant, and accessible for everyone.
At Spokane Public Library, we see every day how powerful it is when people feel safe, connected, and valued. That sense of belonging is at the heart of what we do and it’s something worth celebrating.
We hope you’ll join us this week to discover (or rediscover) what brings you joy at your library.
To celebrate National Library Week, our team has compiled a list of book recs for adults and kids all about books, libraries, and bibliophiles!
Adult Recs
Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree
Can’t Spell Treason without Tea by Rebecca Thorne
Funny Story by Emily Henry
The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
Librarian Tales by William Ottens
Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman
The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki
The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer
The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections: A Novel by Eva Jurczyk
The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson
The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt
The Library Book by Susan Orlean
The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
The Most Beautiful Libraries in the World with Photographs by Guillaume de Laubier, text by Jacques Bosser
The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles
The Unkindness of Ravens by M.E. Hilliard
This Book Made me Think of You by Libby Page
What You are Looking For is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama
For Kids
A Library Book for Bear by Bonny Becker, Illustrated by kady MacDonald Denton
Books by Horseback: A Librarian’s Brave Journey to Deliver Books to Children by Emma Carlson Berne, Pictures by Ilaria Urbinati
I’m So Happy You’re Here: A Celebration of Library Joy by Mychal Threets, Illustrated by Lorraine Nam
Library Mouse: Home Sweet Home by Daniel Kirk
Madeline Finn and the Library Dog by Lisa Papp
Nour’s Secret Library by Wafa Tarnowska, Illustrated by Vali Mintsi
The Bad Seed Goes to the Library by Jory John, Illustrated by Pete Oswald
The Bookshop at the Back of Beyond by Amy Sparkes
