It's no secret that, here at Chicagoist, we love libraries. And why not? All those books, magazines, newspapers, and, most importantly, microfiche! Yes, we're huge nerds. But the library contains a wealth of knowledge. Maybe it's the vast number of books, the sheer volume of literature. Maybe it's the quiet atmosphere, the hush that implies a sense of sanctuary, a place to give reverence to the great literary works of our time. Whatever the reason, we can't get enough of our local branch. And according to the American Library Association (ALA), the nation's libraries are still going strong:

In case you're wondering how today's library is faring, know that library use is up nationwide among all types of library users, and the library remains the number one point of internet access for those without access at home, school or work.

So we're with the 132 years young (and Chicago-based) ALA in celebrating the upcoming National Library Week, "a national initiative to promote the contribution libraries, and the library profession make to their communities everyday," taking place April 13th through the 19th. To help promote the event, local filmmaker Daniel Kraus has made several entertaining clips featuring local improv comic Shad Kunkle. The first video has just gone live and the rest will be posted every other business day between now and April 14th at American Libraries Focus, the companion video website to the official ALA magazine, American Libraries. If interested in a direct link to the National Library Week videos, you can find them here. Another great site to check out for the videos and other information is the ALA's appropriately named I Love Libraries.

Finally, the popular librarian blog The Shifted Librarian is inviting purveyors of the Internets to take the animated NLW introduction video and make their own promo. Check out this post for more information.