The concept of World Book Night, April 23, 2012, is simple. Just sign up by February 1 as a volunteer to give away 20 copies of a popular book to new or reluctant readers in your community to encourage reading.
Carl Lennertz, former publisher and now executive director of World Book Night, spoke on Sunday to librarians about their role in the event, which has the American Library Association as a partner. He would like some 5,000 (10%) of a possible 50,000 volunteers to be librarians, booksellers, or publishing house employees.
When you sign up, you can request one of 30 preselected titles to be the book you bring—not to your library, because readers are already there, but into a coffee shop, hospital, community center, shopping mall, or church to find potential readers. The books will be sent to a designated bookstore or library (it can be yours if you sign up as a book pickup library) by April 9.
Lennertz said many libraries are offering book-giving parties on April 16, creating special displays of the 30 books, offering a countdown clock on their websites, and on World Book Night itself, they are taking photos and recording videos about people’s giving experiences.
The first World Book Night was held in the United Kingdom in 2011 as a way to share a passion for great books with teens and adults who are light readers, and now it has taken root in the United States and Germany in 2012.
For a complete list of the 30 books, sign-up forms, and other materials, visit the World Book Night website.