National Buy a Book Day is a holiday observed annually on September 7th. It’s a day that attempts to raise public awareness about the importance of buying books and taking the time to read them. Books are a great way to learn about a variety of topics, enter the perspectives of other human beings, develop critical thinking skills, and enhance creativity.

Unfortunately, book buying is on the decline nowadays, and this is having a devastating effect on the book buying and reading culture. This holiday was created to address this problem, but only time will tell if it’s successful in salvaging this culture and all that it brings to the world.

The History of National Buy a Book Day

Although human beings recorded information on animal skins, papyrus rolls, and clay tablets for thousands of years, it wasn’t until the 15th century that books could be made and distributed on a widespread basis. This is when German goldsmith Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1436.

Before that date, books were mainly for the wealthy, but this invention allowed books to be distributed to the masses. During the 19th century, books became even more affordable and accessible to the public thanks to the growth of the publishing industry, and the creation of the paperback allowed more people to carry books with them.

Of course, the paperback didn’t really take off until Penguin introduced the modern version of it, and the economic impacts of WWI and the Great Depression created a need for inexpensive entertainment. This is when the book-buying culture really began to flourish and continued to do so for many years into the future.

In 2012, National Buy a Book Day was established. It was created to highlight the importance of books to society and our culture. Books can not only pass on information but also help people develop their vocabulary and critical thinking skills, as well as provide them with an escape from reality for a while. Another advantage of books is that they allow people to come together to discuss the book and bond over it.

Observing National Buy a Book Day

The best way to observe this holiday is to buy a book. It doesn’t matter if that book is purchased in a bookstore or online. All that matters is that a person takes the time to actually purchase the book.

Once they have the book in hand, they can talk about it with friends and family members or even join a book reading club. After reading the book (or books), people can share their experiences online with other people using the hashtag #BuyABookDay. Let us all know how that book moved you and enriched your life. We’d love to hear it.