No matter what your tastes are, a library card hits all the right notes.
Check out a classic story or hit shuffle and try something new. Find harmony at your library’s book clubs, movie nights, crafting classes, and author talks. A headphone kind of day? Find your focus in a study room or vibe out in a cozy nook. Compose your future with new skills in your library’s makerspace or check out instruments and tools in the Library of Things.
No matter what rhythm you find yourself in, there’s a seat in the front row at the library for you.
Laufey is the youngest ever and two-time recipient of the GRAMMY® Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album and has captivated a generation with virtuosic songs of love and self-discovery by manifesting her vision of jazz- and classical-infused pop music. An enthusiastic reader, she founded the Laufey Book Club in 2022 helping to foster a global community of readers. Her first children’s picture book, Mei Mei The Bunny, is a New York Times Bestseller and available now from Penguin Workshop, an imprint of Penguin Random House Children’s Books.
Laufey’s achievements have grown to include over 8 billion global streams, a social media audience of over 25 million, the largest jazz album debut in Spotify history, an album in Billboard’s Top 5, and honored as one of TIME’s Women of the Year in 2025. Last year, Laufey partnered with four U.S. public library systems—Boston Public Library, Fulton County (Ga.) Library, LA County Library, and Phoenix Public Library, as well as a library system in Iceland—to launch limited edition Laufey Book Club collaborative library cards and encourage library card sign-ups in celebration of her annual fan activation in August, A Very Laufey Day, and ahead of Library Card Sign-up Month.
Library Card Sign-up Month is the perfect time to visit your library and check out everything it has to offer, and of course to sign up for a library card! Whether you’re a regular visitor or new to the scene, there’s plenty to see and lots to discover.
Here are a few ways to use your library card and celebrate Library Card Sign-up Month this September. Check them off your list, and bring a friend along to join in on the fun:
Libraries are one of the best places to find enrichment and entertainment – free with your library card! From author talks and book clubs to yoga and movie nights, there’s always something happening at the library. Check out your library’s events calendar and see what’s coming up near you!
More and more libraries are creating spaces for members of their communities to create, learn new skills and technologies, and express themselves: “makerspaces.” These spaces usually have tools to help with creative projects, including 3D printers, recording equipment, craft supplies, and more.
Try your hand at something new or get your latest idea off the ground!
We all know libraries as places to check out books, but did you know many libraries carry other items too? From power tools to games to seeds and so much more, libraries are increasingly creating their own “library of things” to provide items their community needs. See what unexpected things you come across.
Bring harmony to your walls with the official Library Card Sign-up Month 2026 poster!
Promote the joy of reading with Library Card Sign-up Month honorary chair Laufey in this new ALA READ® poster.
A library card hits all the right notes, but so can a shirt, tote, or hoodies from LibraryGiftShop.org!
Libraries offer so much for our communities, but they need our support to stay strong and provide the services many of us rely on every day. Library Card Sign-up Month is a great time to get involved with and support your local library and libraries everywhere. Here are some ways you can help:
An obvious first on our list, and the easiest one of all! A library card gives a front row seat to all that today’s libraries offer, but it also shows that a community values the library and its resources.
Already have a library card? Bring two friends to the library to sign up for theirs!
Make a bigger impact for your library by joining your Friends of the Library group. These dedicated volunteers advocate for libraries, raise funds, sponsor events, and host used book sales. Friends can literally make the difference between a budget increase or cut for their libraries.
If you haven’t joined a Friends group, contact your local library and find out how to join. If your library doesn’t have one, consider starting one!
Share these graphics all month long on social media and let everyone in your community know that September is Library Card Sign-up month! (Click to download)
Library workers can visit ALA’s Library Card Sign-up Month Toolkit for more free tools and program ideas to celebrate in your local community!
Library Card Sign-up Month first started in 1987 as a response to then Secretary of Education, William Bennett, who stated: “Let’s have a campaign … Every child should obtain a library card and use it.”
The American Library Association took Secretary Bennett’s words seriously and teamed up with the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) to start the campaign, with a grant of $85,000 from the Reader’s Digest Foundation. A telegram was sent to Secretary Bennett saying, “We accept your challenge.”
The first theme was “The Best Gift You’ll Ever Give Your Child … A Library Card.” Because of the Reader’s Digest grant, Library Card Sign-Up Month was advertised on over 500 TV and radio stations, along with 200 magazines. Packets of information and ideas were sent out to libraries to help the campaign gain momentum and to inspire librarians. Ideas included circulating a letter from the librarian, awards and celebrations, PTA recruitment, and joint sponsors.
October 14 was the kick off celebration for the campaign, held on the Mall in Washington, D.C., with 500 children in attendance. The event included remarks from Chisholm, Newman, and Secretary Bennett, along with story and craft time, and free pizza.
The following year September was declared Library Card Sign-up Month. Since then, thousands of public libraries and schools have participated every fall, stressing the importance of obtaining a library card as a child’s most important school supply.
