National Library Week has been sponsored by the American Library Association and observed by libraries around the country since 1958.
This year at Duke we decided to celebrate National Library Week (April 10–16) by asking people to tell us how a librarian has helped them—and gave them a chance to say thanks. Teams of librarians armed with whiteboards and markers spread out across East and West Campus (and even the Duke Marine Lab!) taking pictures and posting them on our Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook accounts using the hashtag #ThankALibrarian.
Our goal was to make the contributions of Duke librarians more visible by having other people tell us what we do for them. In the process, we hoped to make our staff feel valued and appreciated. (They only blushed a little.)
We weren’t surprised when people lined up to tell us their stories. They range from the kind of help you might think of—like recommending that perfect book or article for a research paper—to some ways you might not know we’re helping, like data analysis.
Has a librarian made a difference in your life? Show your appreciation by making a gift to the Duke University Libraries today.
