National Library Week
- gallopade
- 8 minutes ago
- 8 min read
From rescuing Timbuktu's precious manuscripts to organizing book drives for troops, librarians have shaped history through their remarkable acts of courage and compassion. Join us in honoring these unsung heroes during National Library Week (April 6-12) because their stories are anything but "by the book!"
Preserving Priceless Papyrus
Say that three times fast! Although tongue-twisters weren’t among the texts preserved by scribes and librarians at the Imperial Library of Constantinople, we can thank these scholars for saving classical Greek literature. By copying manuscripts from deteriorating papyrus rolls to parchment, these librarians and scribes made sure that ancient Greek writers’ ideas would live on.
Papyrus was used by ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans to record their writings. However, papyrus rolls became brittle over time, which caused them to crumble. Since papyrus had to be unrolled to be read, this left only the inside to record writing to minimize damage. Another drawback was that the word count was restricted due to the papyrus’s small size.[1]
Parchment was a suitable substitute as writing material because of its durability and ability to be written on the front and back.[1] It could also be stitched together to make codices (the predecessor of modern-day books).[2]
Recognizing the need to preserve texts written on deteriorating papyrus, Byzantine Emperor Constantine the Great began copying manuscripts onto parchment, beginning with scriptures from the Bible.[1] He also established the Imperial Library in the capital of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople, in the fourth century A.D.[3]
His son, Emperor Constantius II, continued the preservation work after his death and appointed Themistios to oversee the project. Themistios employed librarians and calligraphers to make these copies of classical Greek texts on parchment. Under their care, Homer’s, Sophocles’s, and Plautus’s works were among those preserved.[1]
Up to 100,000 scrolls and codices were believed to have been in the Imperial Library’s possession. Unfortunately, the Imperial Library was destroyed in 1204 during the Fourth Crusade. Norman Crusaders burned the library, along with most of its collection of manuscripts. However, a few of the texts managed to survive.[4]
Professor Knut Kleve of the University of Oslo notes in his article “Preserving the Intellectual Heritgae–Preface”: “Without the efforts of Constantius and Themistios our knowledge of the classical literature would certainly have been even smaller.”[1]
Wartime Book Drives
Jumping ahead several centuries, librarians ensured that the written word would persevere — even in the face of war.
Knowing how books could boost morale among soldiers during World War II, the American Library Association (ALA), the American Red Cross, and the United Service Organizations (USO) teamed together to launch the Victory Book Campaign in 1942. The goal was ambitious: collect 10 million books by April 1, 1942.[5]
.jpg)
The public was encouraged to donate books covering various topics, including fiction, poetry, travel, history, sports, and technical subjects.[5] The demand for up-to-date technical books on airplanes, blueprint reading, welding, repairs, and math grew as production and the need for skilled workers increased during the war effort. Books donated on these subjects were distributed to camp libraries, which the War Department established to provide soldiers with books, newspapers, and magazines.[6]
The Victory Book Campaign’s goal was exceeded with 10,247,760 books being collected.[5] The Campaign had to sift through the donations to ensure they were of good quality and content. Expensive books were handed over to the Rare Book Committee to sell so that the profits could be used to buy more books.[7] Books on topics soldiers likely wouldn’t be interested in (i.e. cookbooks or craft books) were also sold. Children’s books were distributed to school libraries and public libraries.[8]
A second book drive was held in 1943 due to many donations from the previous campaign being in poor condition or meant for children. The campaign was relaunched in February 1943 with the slogan “Any Book You Want To Keep is a Good Book to Give.” Local Boy Scouts troops and schools helped by going door-to-door asking for donations and putting on fundraising shows. By the end of the campaign, over 20,000 books had been donated.[5]
The drive ended when the War and Navy Departments were given a budget to buy books. Additionally, the Armed Services Editions of books were created to provide soldiers with lightweight, compact versions of popular titles. Paperbacks were printed in smaller sizes to fit in soldiers’ pockets and knapsacks.[8]
Thanks to librarians and civilians, troops battling overseas and recovering in hospitals on the homefront could find comfort during wartime in the pages of a book.
Author Carole Marsh Longmeyer notes, “What did soldiers get from reading all these books? A moment of relaxation, a bit of escape from the battlefield, encouragement, hope, determination, faith, a laugh, a good line to share with a fellow soldier, new knowledge, and the reminder that not all in the world was blood and guts—that family and peace were still there, back home where they hoped to return one day.”
To discover more about the Victory Book Campaign, check out Longmeyer’s Starved for Books.
Timbuktu’s Book Smugglers
Timbuktu has long been associated with proverbial phrases about being far away or at the edge of the world. In reality, this ancient city, located in Mali on the edge of the Sahara Desert, was the center of learning and trading Islamic literature during the 13th-16th centuries.[9] These texts covered topics ranging from mathematics to astronomy to poetry.[10] It was believed that 377,000 of these manuscripts were still housed in Timbuktu’s libraries before the city was invaded in 2012.[11]
Timbuktu’s priceless manuscripts were threatened when Islamist militants, supported by al-Qaida, took control of the city in 2012.[10] These extremists enforced strict laws and punishments for those caught breaking them. Music — a vital part of Timbuktu’s rich culture — was outlawed.[11]
Fearing the destruction of Timbuktu’s hundreds of thousands of manuscripts was next, librarian Abdel Kader Haidara planned an operation to save these manuscripts by smuggling them out of the city. The ideas represented in these texts were considered a threat by these militant groups because they were a more moderate Islamic view of literature, secularism, and culture — things deemed idolatrous by those who now occupied Timbuktu.[9]
Haidara, who had inherited his family’s collection of manuscripts, recognized their value and was willing to risk his life to protect them. He told the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), “Central to the heritage of Mali, they represent the long legacy of written knowledge and academic excellence in Africa.”[10]
Having worked for years as an operator locating ancient manuscripts in remote villages and places in Mali to house in the Ahmed Baba Institute (one of Timbuktu’s libraries), Haidara was experienced in transporting books.[9] He and his team of fellow librarians and supporters smuggled 350,000 books out of libraries and into safe houses in the dead of night over six months.[10] They transported these texts by jeep, canoe, and cart, even hiding them under cartons of fruits and vegetables.[11]
Miraculously, all of the manuscripts made it safely to Bamako, Mali. However, Haidara’s rescue mission hasn’t ended; he is working with Google to digitize all of the manuscripts to ensure that these texts live on for centuries to come. The project began in 2014, and as of 2022, it has recorded 40,000 pages of text. Originally, the texts were in medieval Arabic but have since been translated into English, Spanish, and present-day Arabic.[10] You can click here to view the collection, called “Mali Magic.”
Ways You Can Celebrate
One designated holiday is not nearly enough to honor these past and present heroes; fortunately, celebrations are happening all month! Here are a few important dates:
National School Librarian Day: April 4, 2025
National Library Week: April 6 - 12, 2025
National Libraian Day: April 16, 2025
If your child or class is looking for ideas to thank their librarians during these appreciation days, we’ve got you covered!
1. Host a book drive
Like communities did during the Victory Book Campaign, you can set up a book drive at your school. Ask students and faculty to donate new or gently used books for teachers’ classroom libraries, public libraries, children’s hospitals, and prison libraries. Reach out to teachers and librarians for a list of highly requested topics, genres, and titles. Check out your state’s Department of Corrections for information about donating books to prison libraries.
2. Write thank you cards
A simple but powerful way to show appreciation is with a handmade “thank you” card from your students or kids. For an extra touch, include snacks or treats. Since most libraries are government-funded, only gifts under a specific monetary amount can be accepted. To be on the safe side, research the library’s gift policy ahead of time.
3. Start a Little Free Library
Whether you start one on your own in front of your house or team up with people in your community to place one in a park, the Little Free Library is a great way to share the joy of reading with others with their “Take a Book, Share a Book” motto. Students can decorate a library as an arts and crafts class project, or you can purchase a finished one on their website. Click here to learn more!
4. Volunteer at your local library
Many public libraries have volunteer programs, including book cataloging, shelving, tutoring, leading programs, providing technology assistance, and more. Look up your county’s public library system for volunteer opportunities and requirements.
5. Invite a librarian to visit your class
If you’re a teacher, setting up a time for a librarian to speak to your students is a great way to introduce your class to library science and career opportunities in that field.
Stay tuned for more Gallopade blogs filled with helpful information and resources, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X.
Sources:
[1] Kleve, Knut. “Preserving the Intellectual Heritage–Preface.” Council on Library and Information Resources, https://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/bellagio/bellag1/. Accessed 1 April 2025.
[2] “Codex.” Dictionary.com, https://www.dictionary.com/browse/codex. Accessed 1 April 2025.
[3] Andrews, Evan. “8 Legendary Ancient Libraries.” History, 7 February 2025, https://www.history.com/articles/8-impressive-ancient-libraries. Accessed 1 April 2025.
[4] Norman, Jeremy. “The Imperial Library of Constantinople, About Which Remarkably Little is Known.” Jeremy Norman’s HistoryofInformation.com, 15 March 2015, https://www.historyofinformation.com/detail.php?id=4134. Accessed 1 April 2025.
[5] “Victory Book Campaigns, 1942-1943.” Harris County Public Library Digital Archive, https://www.digitalarchive.hcpl.net/exhibits/victory-book-campaign. Accessed 28 March 2025.
[6] “History of the Missouri State Library: Library Support in the World War II Era.” Missouri Secretary of State, https://mostate.libguides.com/libraryhistory/WWII. Accessed 28 March 2025.
[7] Wingfield, Valerie. “The Victory Book Campaign and The New York Public Library.” The New York Public Library, 25 July 2012, https://www.nypl.org/blog/2012/07/25/victory-book-campaign-and-nypl. Accessed 28 March 2025.
[8] Longmeyer, Carole Marsh. Starved for Books. Gallopade International, 2024.
[9] NPR Staff. “Timbuktu’s ‘Badass Librarians’: Checking Out Books Under Al-Qaida’s Nose.” 23 April 2016, https://www.npr.org/2016/04/23/475420855/timbuktus-badass-librarians-checking-out-books-under-al-qaidas-nose. Accessed 27 March 2025.
[10] Maseko, Nomsa. “Timbuktu manuscripts: Mali’s ancient documents captured online.” 10 March 2022, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-60689699. Accessed 27 March 2025.
[11] Tharoor, Kanishk. “How Timbuktu Protected Its Trove of Manuscripts.” Google Arts & Culture, https://artsandculture.google.com/story/CAXRWi94WlsuJQ. Accessed 27 March 2025.