Reasons to Love Libraries

En route to earning her Sustainable Library Initiative school librarian certification, Ashley Grillo put a greenhouse in her library at Spackenkill (NY) High School and taught students about gardening, composting, and recycling, among other things.

The award-winning author says that a library saved her life.

For the past two summers, school librarian Sheila Michaels has led a program that gives out bags with books, hygiene items, and snacks—all for free.

LeBron James teams up with illustrator Niña Mata once again for his latest children’s book: I Am More Than. The NBA star shares the sense of responsibility he carries when writing children’s books, and why public libraries are irreplaceable.

 They are a community’s soul, “cathedrals to who we should be as a society,” and so much more. 

Communities around the country are feeling the love. Here’s a sampling of contributions to the “Reasons To Love Libraries” campaign, presented by SLJ and Library Journal and sponsored by OverDrive.

New York City Public Schools Robin Hood Libraries and the Billion Oyster Project have partnered to get students excited over learning about oysters and their important impact on the environment.

One public library's creative initiatives to get young people away from screens and into nature, with tips and best practices for excursions from kayaking and camping to open-air yoga.

School and public librarians across the U.S. are preparing lessons and programming to educate and excite kids about the April 8th solar eclipse, which will appear in totality in parts of 13 states.