Día de los Niños

Día de los Niños (or “Día”) is a celebration every day of children, families, and reading that culminates yearly, typically on April 30th. Día is celebrated in libraries in states across the country as it emphasizes the importance of literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds and is a nationally recognized initiative of the American Library Association. Situated in the most populous and one of the most diverse states in the country, California’s local libraries are uniquely positioned as cultural meeting spaces to offer Día programs that serve the needs of their multicultural and multilingual communities.

The common goals of all Día programming are to:

  • Celebrate children and connect them to the world of learning through books, stories, and libraries.
  • Recognize and respect culture, heritage, and language as powerful tools for strengthening families and communities.
  • Nurture cognitive and literacy development in ways that honor and embrace a child’s home language and culture.
  • Introduce families to community resources that provide opportunities for learning through multiple literacies.

Target Audience: Activities can be designed to be adaptable for all age groups, such as children, teens, adults, and families. While the activities and resources can meet a wide range of age groups, library staff conducting Día programming are encouraged to target underrepresented and underserved children and families in the community.

Expected Outcomes: Participants report increased involvement in learning opportunities, increased knowledge of the theme or issue addressed, and increased connection through the library and community partners.

Partnerships: Formal or informal partnerships are encouraged, but not required. Reaching out to other local community organizations, such as schools, early education, recreation, and social services centers is encouraged. These groups have “built-in” audiences, can serve as hosts, and/or provide marketing for programs. Cross-discipline connections, along with an intentional focus on reaching underrepresented and diverse groups, are strongly encouraged.

Budget Considerations

  • Staff time: Be sure to engage children/teen/adult services staff, along with literacy staff and volunteers, and marketing and outreach teams.
  • Materials and Supplies: books directly tied to Día programming and are an integral part of the program. Giveaway items not integral to the program are unallowable under LSTA.
    • Multicultural books may also be purchased for library collections. Consider quantity and availability of titles, in both print and e-book versions (consider if the title is widely available in paperback, audio, e-book and additional languages for the widest reach; think about including connections to picture books and kid-friendly books that relate to the theme).
    • Marketing materials
  • Programming: Fees for educational performances by local cultural groups or storytellers to participate in the event. For speaker fees and/or author fees, get an estimate for the author or an alternate local speaker or panel.
  • Services/Outreach: Promote your Día event via radio, newspaper, TV, and/or other outreach strategies.

Implementation Steps

  • Co-design your project with your community: Identify potential participants, focusing on reaching people not currently visiting the library, and gauge interest in the project. Meet with them to discuss the program. Engage them in envisioning the project, planning how to proceed, what activities will take place, and how community members will be invited and encouraged to attend.
  • Design a Series: Día can be a series of learning and discovery that connects children with books and celebrates all linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Program ideas, activities, and planning guides can be found at the California State Library’s Día de los niños/Día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day) page. Examples include book clubs, storytelling programs, craft programs, interactive dance workshops, community plays, musical programs, puppet shows, community readings, circulating programming kits, etc. Encourage community members to experience the full impact of the series by participating as much as possible.
  • Identify costs for each activity: Determine staff costs to plan and implement the program(s), service costs for presenters and marketing, supplies/materials costs to purchase all supplies for each activity, books, etc.
  • Identify partners: Local schools, early education centers, craft stores, and potential instructors are useful for automatic audiences, marketing, cost-sharing, and program facility use. Be clear about roles and expectations so all parties involved understand the terms of the collaboration.
  • Develop a Timeline for all of the steps required to plan and implement the programs. The timeline should include marketing, selecting and purchasing supplies, where and how program activities will be conducted, writing required grant reports, and program evaluation.
  • Invite an Author or Storyteller: Consider booking an author to come read from their book or invite a storyteller to share stories.
  • Order Supplies: Make sure supplies are delivered in time before the programs to inventory and prepare samples of each activity prior to each program. Be sure to have related non-fiction and fiction age-related books ordered, cataloged and ready to circulate before each program.
  • Outreach & Marketing are Key: Outreach, partnerships, and marketing are essential to the success of any program series. Prepare and disseminate marketing: press releases, online library calendars, and flyers should be available three to four weeks prior to the programs.
  • Document, Evaluate and Share: Gather feedback from participants and staff with surveys and interviews. Debrief with staff and volunteers to discuss what went well, what needs additional supports, and be sure to adjust the next program accordingly. Document events with photos, video, and social media posts. Invite community members and partners to talk about their experience and tag all social media posts with #DiaTogether #DiaDeLosLibros

Additional Resources

Día Children’s Day/Book Day: Día is a nationally recognized initiative that emphasizes the importance of literacy for all children from all backgrounds. It is a daily commitment to linking children and their families to diverse books, languages, and cultures. See the Día Program Registry for examples of programs other libraries have conducted. The registry is organized by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), and your library is invited to share information about public programs that you are having at your library or community organization throughout the year to celebrate Día. The information will be searchable on the national Día map and display on the website.