From my 2016 visit to my childhood library in Beckenham
It’s World Book Day, which is traditionally celebrated mostly by primary school aged children, but why should we let them have all the fun? Here are some ways in which grown-ups can share their love of books with others this World Book Day.
1. Get involved in online book communities
There are so many ways to share your love of books online – on social media, forums, even blogs. You can start anytime, but why not today? I promise you that you don’t need the perfect profile or pictures or blog theme to get started. Lots of people start a book blog on free sites like Blogger – that’s where my blog was for most of its life!
If you’re intimidated by the size of the book communities on Instagram or Twitter, try Litsy – it’s a lot like Instagram, but just for books, and there isn’t the same expectation to produce heavily-styled images that you get on ‘Bookstagram’.
For more tips on how to join online book communities, join my free course Ignite Your Passion For Reading: Fall In Love With Books.
2. Share your books…or give them away
If you’ve read a print book recently that you’ve loved, how about lending it to a friend or neighbour? If you’re worried about how to properly quarantine it before/after passing it on, make it a recommendation instead. Or hop onto your favourite social media platform and tell the world!
Fancy a declutter? If you have books you no longer want to read, there are loads of ways to give them away, even when the charity shops and book exchanges are closed. My current favourite way to pass on books is to list them on the Olio app so that neighbours can arrange to pick them up from outside my front door. You could also try Freegle, Buy Nothing groups, or, if you want something more book-specific and global, BookMooch.
If you have a lot of recently-published childrens and teen books (I’m looking at you, fellow bloggers), BookBuddy can help you connect with staff at a local school in need of books for their library.
3. Support libraries
Are public libraries in your area in danger of being closed down? Get involved in campaign groups to support them, or at least have a go at raising awareness. You can find out more about the state of public libraries in the UK at Public Libraries News. Last year my beloved childhood library was under threat, and at the moment it seems to have escaped the axe, but we need to be ever vigilant, and libraries in my current area are also in trouble.
You can also donate money to libraries all over the world at JustGiving.
4. Start a book club
Okay, so you might be bored of most online activities by now, but trust me on this one. A book club could be the answer to all your social problems. It strikes the perfect balance between structure and freedom to chat, gives you something to talk about other than the pandemic and to fill your time with between meetings… Have I convinced you yet?
If you would like to start a book club but have no clue where to begin – or only a little bit of a clue, and want some help – my course Start and Run a Book Club (now with bonus ‘Starting a Book Club During a Pandemic’ video) is free, yes, FREE, for the next two days (until 10pm GMT on 6 March). Just click here to register: https://www.udemy.com/course/book-club/?couponCode=WORLDBOOKDAY
Leave a Reply