Library Card Sign-up Month History

91ý

The campaign started in 1987 as a response to then Secretary of Education William Bennett, who stated, “Let’s have a campaign … Every child should obtain a library card and use it.” Read a thoroughly-detailed account in the August 24, 2015 blog post at the 91ý Archives, , by Cara Bertram.

Library Card Sign-up Month Honorary Chairs

2023 Disney Pixar's Elemental characters Ember and Wade

2022 Idina Menzel and Cara Mentzel

2021 Marley Dias

2020 DC Comics' Wonder Woman

2019 Disney Pixar's Toy Story characters

2018 Disney Pixar's The Incredibles

2017 DC Comics' Teen Titans

2016 Snoopy, the world-famous beagle featured in the Peanuts comic strip

2015 Snoopy, the world-famous beagle featured in the Peanuts comic strip

2014 Stan Lee, co-creator of Spider-Man, the Hulk, X-Men, Iron Man, and the Fantastic Four

2013 NBA two-time All-Star Luol Deng

2012 NFL two-time Super Bowl winner Troy Polamalu

2011 Baseball Hall of Famer and author Cal Ripken

2010 NBA Star and Olympic Gold Medalist Dwyane Wade

2009 WNBA Star and Olympic Gold Medalist Candace Parker

2008 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, NBA's all-time leading scorer and author

October 14, 1987, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., 1987-1988 91ý President Margaret Chisholm, then-NCLIS chairman Jerald Newman, and William Bennett with Garfield the Cat.

(Prior to Honorary Chair designation) Library Card Sign-up Month Spokespersons

2007 Ben Roethlisberger, quarterback of the 2006 Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers

2006 George Lopez, actor-comedian and author