International School Libraries Month – Oct. 1, 2026

Expected International School Libraries Month Deals

While direct commercial ‘deals’ are less common, International School Libraries Month throughout October inspires various forms of support and appreciation. Look for special fundraising drives by organizations like the International Association of School Librarianship (IASL) and the American Library Association (ALA) to provide resources to underserved school libraries. Publishers such as Scholastic and Penguin Random House often highlight educational titles and offer discounts on bulk purchases for schools. Digital library providers like OverDrive may run promotions on e-book and audiobook access for school systems. Local bookstores might host events or donate a percentage of sales to school libraries, while companies like Follett, a leading provider of K-12 educational technology and content, may offer special pricing on library management systems. We encourage everyone to support these initiatives and recognize the vital role school libraries play in fostering literacy and learning.

History of International School Libraries Month

Before the emergence of online search engines, people with queries used to go to their local libraries, the most reputable sources they knew. Simply ask, and a reference librarian will answer your question or direct you to a book with the necessary information. The concept of a library can be traced back thousands of years. In the seventh century B.C., Assyrian ruler Ashurbanipal founded the first systematically organized library in Nineveh, Iraq, of the ancient Middle East. Similarly, the Great Library of Alexandria in Egypt is thought to have housed up to 700,000 documents from various regions. Other great libraries include Baghdad’s ‘Bayt al-ikmah’ (‘House of Wisdom’), founded in 830 A.D., and the library of Caliph Al-Hakam in Spain, which housed around 400,000 books in the 10th century.

The objective of ancient libraries was straightforward — gather information, extract knowledge, and improve life. People increasingly began to see the value of having publicly available information centers, and libraries became ubiquitous in cities and towns worldwide.

Many people predicted that libraries would become obsolete as the Internet’s impact grew in the 1990s and 2000s because all the knowledge in the world was suddenly at your fingertips. Despite this, community libraries have continued to thrive, becoming more popular than ever because the Internet does have some weaknesses.

How Businesses Can Celebrate International School Libraries Month