Libraries play a unique role in promoting reading in communities. As a free (at point of use) public service they can provide a stepping-stone to engagement with reading and book buying for less engaged readers and disadvantaged communities. Working together, World Book Day and libraries can promote reading, help change attitudes to book accessibility and encourage engagement with book shops and the wider world of books overall.

To learn more about running a World Book Day event, check out our guide.

To learn more about how you can make a difference on World Book Day and change children’s lives through the joy of reading, check out our toolkit.

How to work with us

We want to support libraries to use World Book Day to promote reading and library membership across the UK & Ireland. Here are just some of the ways that you can do this:

• HOST EXCITING EVENTS around World Book Day to engage with families, schools and nurseries and add them to our Events map. For ideas on including authors and illustrators in your World Book Day celebrations, online or in person, contact Authors Aloud UK and Authors Abroad;
• CONTACT local schools and nurseries/pre-schools and tell them about the brilliant services libraries offer, offer to go into schools and talk to children in assembly or arrange a virtual library visit to give children a sneak peek of what your library can offer;
• USE your newsletters and social media to talk about the importance of reading for pleasure and reading together;
• DECK the walls with celebratory World Book Day materials – create your own or download our posters and other materials;
• CREATE a display to suggest further reading around the £1 books and their authors and illustrators;
• ENGAGE year-round with the World Book Day Book Club and Share A Story Corner by encouraging children and families to join in.

For World Book Day 2023, we extended our partnership with the National Literacy Trust and Libraries Connected to include 15 of the NLT’s hub areas. In each area we worked with hub, library and other local leaders to develop a deeper understanding of how community partners can be part of World Book Day as a major national movements to reach into communities who are less likely to engage.

We:

• Explored ways that the WBD brand and moment can be used by local agencies and leaders to champion the use of libraries and of library membership, and a positive message about reading, particularly with less engaged communities;
• Understood how local organisations (libraries, retailers and schools) can work together to use World Book Day to promote reading engagement;
• Enabled libraries to use the World Book Day campaign more effectively to promote reading engagement and library membership across the UK;
• Increased the number of children who use their WBD £1 token to have a book of their own.

Your events

Libraries run amazing World Book Day events to encourage families to love reading. Please add your events to our map so that we can help more children and young people to enjoy them.

Using the World Book Day branding & materials

Please contact hi@worldbookday.com to receive access to our assets and brand guidelines.