April brings the annual recognition of libraries across the United States during Library Week, celebrated Apr. 11-17, and first observed in 1958. The national theme is “Communities thrive@your library” and North Carolina is a top example of that.

Latest statistics from the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources (www.ncculture.com), show that a whopping 56 percent of North Carolinians are library-goers who know that the “Smartest Card” they carry is their library card. These 5,153,747 men, women, children and youth visited their libraries 44,160,699 times during the year to search resources, read newspapers and magazines, hear stories or speakers, view exhibits, check out digital collections, use the computers, job search and, oh yes, borrow books. An amazing 82 million virtual visits to the library were logged, and adults are reading fiction in a 2:1 ratio compared to non-fiction.

The busiest public libraries in the state are in Wake County — at nearly 8 million, it has more visits than any other system — and in Mecklenburg, where 84 percent of the population (almost 734,000 people) are patrons. All these stats are from the most recent report of July 1, 2008-June 30, 2009, and can be found at http://statelibrary.ncdcr.gov/ld/plstats/0809

When you “Ask a Librarian” fun things can result. For example, it turns out that although the Library Week has been around 50+ years, there were harbingers of the idea back in the 1920s. But that’s a mere blip compared to the North Carolina State Library’s proud heritage, as the Library, the oldest division of the Department of Cultural Resources, will celebrate 200 years in 2012.

April is a great time to learn something new, and this Library Week is rich in historical connections that may suggest avenues of exploration. On April 14, the Titanic struck an iceberg (1912) and Lincoln was shot (1865); on April 17, the unlucky Apollo 13 returned its astronauts safely to earth (1970); and on April 11 in 1945, U.S. troops liberated 20,000 prisoners from the Buchenwald prison camp.

Librarians across North Carolina’s 77 public library systems are ready to assist life-long learners discover something new. The State Library of North Carolina has provided services to the Old North State citizens since 1812. The Government and Heritage Library, physically located at 109 East Jones Street in Raleigh, provides direct services to state government employees and to anyone with a research interest in the history, culture, geography, economy and people of North Carolina.

Genealogy services are enjoyed by family researchers from all over the country and other parts of the world. The State Library is the repository of state government publications and a coordinating agency of the State Data Center. The Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped ensures that citizens with special needs have library materials in accessible formats.

More and more, libraries have become the default sites for job searching. The State Library in 2009 launched a Job Search program to train librarians to help patrons connect with employers and conduct job searches. North Carolina’s program has become a national model.

The State Library of North Carolina works in partnership with communities to develop library service, coordinates statewide programs for all types of libraries, and offers direct library service to state employees, genealogy researchers, and people who have visual and physically handicaps. The Department of Cultural Resources is a state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture and podcasting 24/7 with information about the Department of Cultural Resources, all available at www.ncculture.com.

So what are you reading this week?