National Library Week, a project of the ALA ((it was initially a joint project with the now disbanded National Book Committee.)), launched in 1958 with the slogan “Wake Up and Read!” ((National Library Week Fact Sheet)). A useful history of National Library Week can be found in American Libraries Magazine.

Over the years, it has taken on many other themes and slogans, including “Be All You Can Be. Read.”, “Reading Makes The World Go Round”, “Reading is What’s Happening”, and the succinct (if a little awkward) “AWESOME The Library”. The designs range from the psychedelic art of Peter Max to a simple question mark.

Above you’ll see a selection of posters from the late 1950’s through to the present. Many of these were found in the browsable ALA Archives Posters, hosted by the University of Illinois University Library.