International Book Giving Day: Spread The Love For Reading On Feb. 14

February 14 — a day known for the celebration of love — is also a day set aside to celebrate the love for reading. Celebrated alongside Valentine's Day, International Book Giving Day on February 14 is dedicated to putting books in the hands of as many children as possible.

Book lovers across the world mark the occasion by sharing their love for books with others, especially children. The day is also meant to encourage people to donate books to children who might not have easy access to books and help instill a love for reading in them.

Whether the books are new, used or borrowed, International Book Giving Day simply encourages people to share the love of books in even small ways, according to National Today.

The International Book Giving Day first came about after Amy Broadmoore, founder of Delightful Children's Books and The Curious Kid's Librarian, came up with the idea in 2012.

Broadmoore and fellow blogger, Zoe Toft, founder of Playing by The Book, worked together to set the tone for the first International Book Giving Day before the website was taken over by Emma Perry in 2013.

Perry, who set up the children's review site, My Book Corner, and authored the children's books "I Don't Like Books" and "This Book Has Alpacas," became the organizer for International Book Giving Day events since then.

"The aim of International Book Giving Day is, quite simply, to get books into the hands of as many children as possible across the world. And it all takes place on Valentine's Day – the idea being to share the love of books on a day already synonymous with love," Perry previously said in an interview.

International Book Giving is now celebrated in more than 44 countries like the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, France, Ukraine, Croatia, Cyprus, India, Japan, Singapore, the Philippines, Turkey, Germany and more.

"Libraries have been set up in South Africa. Last year, book fairies were wandering the streets in Nigeria and Canada handing out books. There were treasure hunts in Turkey and Basingstoke, and book collections for a shelter in the Maldives," Perry said in the 2021 interview.

Some of the many ways to celebrate International Book Giving Day include buying books for the children in your lives, leaving books in buses or even public park benches, donating books to local schools, having book swaps or exchanges, and donating to charities or local libraries.

"There is no limit to the imaginative ways you can give books!" Perry added. " ... I strongly believe, however, that now more than ever children need access to those books. Libraries might be harder to get to in some areas, some children may not be in school – lots of opportunities for books, for some, are not there for them at the moment."