Book Lovers Day is August 9

August 9 is National Book Lovers Day. It’s an unofficial holiday recognized on a global scale. Its origins and creator remain unknown, but it’s a nice idea to put away our smart phones for a day and pick up a book. No matter what genre you prefer – romance, historical fiction, horror, fantasy, memoir or others – there are plenty of choices.

Books were originally chiseled on stone tablets. Once the first paper was developed books were written on papyrus or vellum sheets and hand stitched together. Hand written books were very valuable because of the time involved and scarcity. Libraries have existed since the Middle Ages, but due to their value, books were protected in these buildings, chained to shelves to prevent theft of the huge, hand-written tomes. Librarians alone had the authority to unchain the desired book and laid it on a nearby table while a patron perused it.

Modern day librarians or media specialists are just as helpful. They will assist in finding books on the topic of your choice, suggest titles in particular genres, and guide patrons to a variety of resources.