Today we celebrate National Library Day, thanking libraries and librarians across the world for introducing us to the world of books we love so much! In celebration of this day, we have five great library facts for you to enjoy plus a giveaway of Cathy Gohlke’s book, William Henry is a Fine Name.

1. First Library

The oldest organized library that we know of is the Library of Ashurbanipal. The library was built in Assyria and estimated to contain 30,000 cuneiform tablets. It is said that this library inspired Alexander the Great to start his own, more widely known library (completed after his death), the Library at Alexandria.

2. Biggest Library

The U.S. Library of Congress is the largest library in the world in terms of both number of books and total shelf space. According to the Library of Congress website, the Library contains more than 151.8 million items and 838 miles of bookshelves. The Library was founded in 1800 and adds approximately 10,000 items to the collections each day.

3. Books on Chains

Books haven’t always been stored on shelves the way we see them today. Throughout history, writing has moved from storage in scrolls and tablets to being stored in books. The first known spine printing occurred in 1535, making way for books to be stored spine-out. Previously, monks and libraries would stake their claims on books by chaining them to a particular desk or lecturn.

4. Number of Librarians in the U.S.

Library Day wouldn’t be complete without a big thank you to all the librarians that influenced our reading so much! According to the American Library Association website, in the U.S. alone, there are approximately 150,000 librarians. These librarians work in school, public, and academic libraries, as well as other specialized libraries, and we are grateful for their service!

5. National Library Day

National Library Week is celebrated each year in the United States. This year we are celebrating it this week, April 8-14, 2012 (although April is also Library Month, so feel free to keep celebrating the next few weeks as well). The holiday is celebrated each year with extra emphasis on library activities and library worker appreciation.

In honor of today’s holiday, we’re giving away 5 copies of the Christy Award-winning book, William Henry is a Fine Name, written by Cathy Gohlke, who worked as a school librarian. For your chance to win, tell us below what libraries have done for you by filling in the blank:

I love my library because ___.