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Both National Library Week and National School Library Month take place in the month of April. The theme this year for National Library Week was “Drawn to the Library” and there are many reasons people are drawn to our libraries. Libraries offer free access to books, computers, research, interest groups, and some come in just to read the newspapers.  Whatever the attraction is for you, we appreciate you and your support.  

Libraries have a long, interesting history and not all of them are the same. Take, for example, the fact that France has a library of smells. Known as the Osmotheque and located in Versailles, it houses a collection of fragrances from the mid-1800s to the present day, including both classic and recently launched perfumes. Founded in 1990, the Osmotheque is dedicated to preserving the formulas of fragrances and ensuring their original scents are maintained for as long as possible. It is the only international archive of perfumes on record and has a collection of 4,000 scents. There is also a magician’s library in Paris, known as the Musee de la Magie. Housed in the cellars beneath a 16-century house, it includes items relating to magic shows, including optical illusions, secret boxes, wind-up toys, magic mirrors, see-through glasses and posters. 

There even used to be a special handwriting for librarians called ‘library hand’ and connects with Thomas Edison. It is a rounded style of handwriting that was once taught in library schools to ensure uniformity and legibility in handwritten catalog cards. It was developed and perfected by Melvil Dewey and Thomas Edison, starting in September 1885. The handwriting style was based on Edison’s own script, which he claimed allowed him to take notes at high speeds. The requirements for library hand included legibility, speed, and uniformity, as detailed in the 1903 Handbook of the New York State Library School. Specific standards were set for the type of ink, inkstands, pens, penholders, and erasers, as well as for the size, slant, spacing, and special letters in the handwriting.

Did you also know the Harvard Library was founded in honor of a person who died on the Titanic? It’s true. The Harvard Library, specifically the Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library, was founded in honor of Harry Elkins Widener, who died on the Titanic. Widener, a 1907 Harvard College graduate and avid book collector, perished in the sinking of the Titanic on April 15, 1912. His mother, Eleanor Elkins Widener, built the library as a memorial to her son and to house his extensive book collection.

And finally, what’s the world’s largest library, you ask? It’s the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.