Evolving Timeline
Children’s Day, Book Day
El día de los niños, El día de los libros (Día)

April 15, 2020

24th Children’s Day, Book Day

Our yearlong initiative continues. This April, let’s enjoy family celebrations reading AND writing books.

March 15, 2019
Children’s Day, Book Day Supporters

Children’s Day, Book Day Supporters

These national and state organizations and publishers actively support Children’s Day, Book Day, a yearlong initiative with culminating celebrations across the country on April 30th.

April 28, 2018
Bravo, El Paso!

Bravo, El Paso!

This year marks the 22nd anniversary of Día celebrations–and El Paso Public Library hasn’t missed one! Their festivities routinely draw 20-30,000 attendees, giving away up to 30,000 books to children who might not otherwise have a book of their own.

April 18, 2018
Share My Lesson

Educator destination: Share My Lesson

Find Día lesson plans on the American Federation of Teacher’s Share My Lesson website.

March 31, 2018
Children's Day, Book Day

Children’s Day, Book Day Flyer

With the help of First Book, Pat created a customizable flyer for Día partners to use, encouraging others to plan April Children’s Day, Book Day celebrations.

April 17, 2017

A New Día Video for Sharing

Pat made a new Día video to help partners quickly understand what Día is about.

April 30, 2016
Happy 20 Dia!

Happy 20th Anniversary to Día!

Día partners helped to promote the 20th anniversary celebration through social media. Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal published interviews with founder Pat Mora. Celebrations large and small took place nationwide! The National Día Program Registry, managed by The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association, reported 560 programs (from 40 states) entered for 2016, with an estimated 103, 635 participants! (The ALSC Registry reflects only those libraries who submit events to ALSC and is thus a partial estimate of Día April celebrations.)

April 27, 2016
ALSC President Andrew Medlar and Pat Mora.

Día’s 20th anniversary celebrated on Capitol Hill

ALSC’s Angela Hubbard, a Día Dynamo, organized a Capitol Celebration at which school children and their teachers joined Día partners Andrew Medlar, ALSC President, Día Dynamo Roxana Barillas of First Book and and Leslie Getzinger from the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) for a 20th anniversary Día celebration on Capitol Hill, complete with books, cake and lemonade. Senator Jack Reed (RI), Congressman Donald M. Payne Jr. (NJ), and Congressman Mark Takano (CA) read to the children and encouraged them to be readers. More photos.

April 1, 2016
Lone Star Dia

Día in Texas and New Mexico

Thanks to the leadership of Día Dynamos Mark Smith, Director and Librarian, Texas State Library and Archive Commission, and Pat Smith, Executive Director, Texas Library Association, Texas libraries celebrated Lone Star Día. Kathleen Moeller-Peiffer, New Mexico State Librarian, and her team also promoted Día throughout New Mexico libraries.

February 1, 2016
First Book

First Book to judge the Estela and Raúl Mora Award

With the enthusiastic support of Roxana Barillas, Director of Hispanic Engagement, First Book will serve as judges for the 2016 Mora Awards.

January 20, 2016
20th Anniversary Día Videos for Sharing

20th Anniversary Día Videos for Sharing

Día Dynamos Christy Vasquez, a retired librarian, and Thom Eberhardt, a retired screenwriter, created and filmed five video shorts to assist in promoting Día’s 20th Anniversary nationally.

June 30, 2015
Second Día video

Second Día video

Día video with a recap of some 2014 and 2015 Día celebrations.

April 5, 2015
Dia poem from Poetry Fridays

Día poem in the Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebrations

Día partner Pomelo Books published The Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebrations which includes Pat’s poem “Children’s Day, Book Day.”

September 15, 2014
Mora Award

REFORMA and 15 years of the Mora Award

The National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos & the Spanish Speaking (REFORMA) completes its 15th year of judging the Estela and Raúl Mora Award. Committee chairs included Día Dynamos and Librarians Beatriz Pascual Wallace and Lupita Arroyo.

June 23, 2014
USBBY logo

Día Family Book Club won USBBY Bridge to Understanding Award

The United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) awarded the 2014 Bridge to Understanding Award to ALSC’s Día Family Book Club, for introducing books about diverse cultures from around the world to children and families through a series of book discussions. USBBY has been a staunch Día supporter since 2000.

April 23, 2014
Dia San Francisco

San Francisco Día

Mora Award winner San Francisco Public Library partnered with local nonprofits to create their 15th annual Día celebration.

February 15, 2014
Iowa Library Services/State Library of Iowa

Iowa Library Services/State Library of Iowa

Thanks to the energy of Librarian and Día Dynamo Merri Monks, Iowa Library Services/State Library of Iowa began its statewide Día initiative which continues annually.

November 15, 2013
Library of Congress Best Practices

Library of Congress: Día is Culturally Relevant

Día was recognized by the Library of Congress in its Literacy Awards Best Practices publication which reviews submissions made for its three awards and highlights exemplary practices implemented by programs that address illiteracy, aliteracy, or both, in the United States and globally.

March 1, 2013
February 15, 2013

Día Family Book Club Debut

ALSC began the Día Family Book Club. Through shared discussion and reflection, families can explore themes and issues that matter and learn how to better help their child to enjoy and understand the importance of reading.

June 30, 2012
Dia video 2012

First Día video

First video of 2012 Día celebrations.

April 30, 2012
Dia Advocates A-Zing!

Día Advocates A to Zing

Pat celebrated all Día advocates with a colorful poster!

March 15, 2012
CSMCL logo

Día Grants from the Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature

Dr. Claudette S. McLinn began awarding an annual grant to a library with African-American focused Día programming.

March 3, 2012
ambassador badge

Pat’s website welcomed Día Author and Illustrator Ambassadors

Published authors and illustrators added their voices to the importance of linking all children and young people to books, languages and cultures.

January 15, 2012
ALA Dia

ALSC Día website revamped

In preparation for 2012 Día celebrations, ALSC added additional content and reorganized its Día website with additional support from Dollar General Literacy Foundation.

April 30, 2011
Día’s 15th anniversary

Día’s 15th anniversary

Librarians and Día Dynamos Lucia Gonzalez (FL), Jeanette Larson (TX), Oralia Garza de Cortés (TX), ALSC Past-President Cynthia Richey and Pat celebrated with cake at the annual ALA convention in New Orleans.

March 10, 2011
Colorin Colorado

Día videos from ¡Colorín Colorado!

Día Dynamo Lydia Breiseth, Manager at WETV’s ¡Colorín Colorado! created a series of videos with Pat about Día. Lydia creatively promotes literacy for Spanish-speaking families and connects them to Día.

February 15, 2011

Día mini-grants for libraries

ALSC worked with the Dollar General Literacy Foundation to support fifteen mini-grants of $4,000 or $6,000 for the expansion of Día in libraries that demonstrated a need to better address the diverse backgrounds within their communities.

February 1, 2011
Dia Nuggets

Día Planning Booklet arrives

The first edition of Pat’s Día Planning Booklet “15 Día Nuggets for Día’s 15th Anniversary.”

January 15, 2011
April 4, 2010
Diapalooza

First Annual Díapalooza

Pat’s Bookjoy blog celebrates Díapalooza, an every-day-in-April celebration on social media, for the first time.

February 1, 2010
Arte Publico

Arte Público Press encouraged celebrations

Arte Público Press issued a special book discount for the first time, to encourage libraries to include book sharing in their Día celebrations. Arte Público continues this fine tradition.

March 10, 2009
February 21, 2009
Flo Trujillo

Flo Trujillo named first Día Dynamo

Flo Trujillo, Youth Services Coordinator at the Farmington, New Mexico Public Library, inspired Pat to create the Día Dynamos.

April 30, 2008
dia senate 2

Día celebrated in nation’s Capitol

Thanks to organizing by ALSC, U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Ken Salazar and Congressmen Rubén Hinojosa and Mike Honda were joined by local children and Pat at the U.S. Capitol to honor Día.

April 4, 2008
Bookjoy!

Bookjoy blog launch

Pat launched the Bookjoy blog. The first post shared her upcoming Día travel schedule, with stops at the University of Southern Mississippi, Seattle Public Library, Multnomah County Library, and Riverside County Public Libraries.