In 1997, the first annual Día celebrations were held in cities including El Paso and Austin. Texas has continued to support Día, thanks to advocates like Sara Ortiz, Communications & Marketing Specialist at the Texas Library Association (TLA) and Rebekah Manley, Coordinator for the Texas Center for the Book.

Sara says, “No one school, town, city, or state library is the other, and neither are readers, which is precisely why celebrations such as Día are more crucial today than ever before. To celebrate Día is to celebrate growth and literacy.”

This spring, TLA has encouraged libraries statewide to participate in Día:

• Promotion through the TLACast Newsletter
• Announcement in the spring edition of the Texas Library Journal
• Maintenance of a year-round dedicated Día page
• Social media dispatches via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

The Texas Center for the Book works with the Texas State Library and Archives to spread the Día message across the state:

• Distribute a Día press release from the State Library
• Maintain a year-round Día website
• Create and distribute special Día bookmarks at the Texas Library Association Conference
• Encourage Texans to participate via social media