White Sands to celebrate the first Military Libraries Week

The first-ever Military Libraries Week will occur from Nov. 10 to 16, 2024.

This year's theme is "Leaders Are Readers." If the theme sounds familiar, it is because it was last year's Army Libraries Week theme. Due to the success of the Army's library celebration last year, the week is expanding to highlight all military libraries.

"The first time it was easier to do the Army Libraries week, it went well. It went so well that the other military services asked to join us. Now, this year is the first-ever Military Libraries Week," said the Supervisory Librarian, Joseph Miller at the White Sands Missile Range Post Library.

The primary intent of having a week to highlight the library is to create awareness of what libraries have to offer the community and to educate the military community about the different types of libraries the DoD has to offer such as MWR or academic.

Miller sits on the Library Advocacy Working Group that came up with the idea for the Army Libraries week last year. He is still in the group and this year he also served on the subcommittee tasked with figuring out how to spotlight a library from each military branch.

"I am glad that they kept me in the Library Advocacy Group," said Miller. "It is really something I want to be part of - to advocate for the library system."

To celebrate the library week WSMR is hosting a Graphic Novel Readathon. The guidelines are simple:

• Visit the WSMR library during Military Libraries Week
• Read for fifteen minutes while at the library
• All ages are welcome

After reading for fifteen minutes participants will get a free Humanoids comic book (no federal endorsement implied).

The library is also set up for visitors to take fun photos that can also be shared with friends, family and on social media if desired.