Several years ago, we stumbled upon a charming photo from Lane Library at Ripon College in Wisconsin, showcasing their display for World Postcard Day, and the memory of it has lingered with us ever since. At the event, they placed a basket of fun postcards at their counter, inviting visitors to pick out one or two to send to their loved ones. It was a very simple thing, yet also a meaningful way to spread joy and celebrate World Postcard Day, while simultaneously bringing libraries (which are some of our absolute favorite places) into the festivities!
This year, we’d like to encourage you all to replicate this heartwarming idea! Check with your local library to see if they’d be open to participating. If so, all you need is a charming basket, a selection of postcards, and either our printable pamphlet or your own creative version. Once everything is set, you’re ready to spread some postcard magic in your town!
Another wonderful way to celebrate World Postcard Day is by hosting a postcard-making or writing workshop in your community. Gather some blank postcards for decorating or standard ones for writing, and invite friends and neighbors to join in. If you’re a parent, this can be a fantastic opportunity to engage children of all ages in the fun of postcard creation. There’s something so special about decorating postcards or writing heartfelt messages to friends and family. To cap off the event, consider a little excursion to the nearest postbox to send out everyone’s creations!
If you decide to take part and do something special for the day, we’d love to see it — please share your plans and snapshots with us! 😍
26 comments so far
I'm going to Postcrossing Meetup at 1st of October with my friend, @Nepa
It's in our library. Laihia is very small place, so meetups are very rare. It will be my first meetup I have joined!
But one question: do I have to announce somewhere that I'm coming?
@ennis Hi! If you're participating in a meetup, you should let the meetup organizer know that you're coming. A post on the respective forum topic should be enough!
Great initiative! I'm going to share it for sure! If every postcrosser who reads this blog tells their library to do it, and if at the end of World Postcard Day 10 or 15 cards are sent by each, just imagine how many postcards we can achieve! Wow, that's exciting!
I do this for my Library. I'm a Library employee so it's very easy for me to set up a display and offer postcards. Usually I put out 100 postcards.
I don't work for the library. Does anyone have any tips on how to pitch this to their programming department? Or is it too late to do so?
@thejulibean I just did this to my library! I sent them an email saying that World Postcard Day was coming up and that one of the ways for libraries to be involved with this global initiative was to offer postcards to visitors. I offered to give them a batch of postcards and print the pamphlet. Let's see what they say :)
Thanks for the idea. I'm doing it at my work at a long term care home and decorate and write cards with the seniors.
Nice ideas and lets spread the joy of the postcards together :)
I’ve proposed starting a postcrossing group/club to several libraries to get children interested and more familiar with geography.
Schools could introduce it in all classrooms for the same reasons and to encourage handwriting once again.
Last year my local library did offer postcards for patrons to participate in World Postcard Day. Kudos to Mamakating Library in Wurtsboro, N.Y, USA
Great! I think I will do this in our University library. I hope the librarian will be open to the idea. If they will allow me, I will be sure to take snapshots and share the photos.
Thank you.
@meiadeleite Thank you! I will do it!
I'm leading a library and I think about an exhibition about Postcrossing since a few years. When I spoke about it in a German FB group, someone told me, that I'm not allowed to use your logo or to translate texts from your website. I don't remember her name, but she was connected to you in some way and wanted to give me more information and a text she once wrote with your permission. I never heard from her again. But this is the perfect occasion to ask you. :-) Is there something I have to keep in mind, if I make an exhibition with the aim, that people use you website? I'm always on holiday around the WPD, but I will see if I can establish something this year. Could you translate the printable pamphlet into German, too?
@Inselfreudin Please get in touch via the contact form! We can help :)
I have a free little library in our village Garrelsweer. I'm going to put a basket of different cards and people can pick a card and sent it themself. On Facebook and in the librarycomes a Dutch version from the pamphlet.
Great ideas! Thanks for the encouragement!
What a great idea!
As a teacher, I always promoted sending postcards. There are so many benefits to this. Learning how to write an address, learning about other countries, and finding those on a map.
My grandchildren are now homeschooled and they love to learn about the postcards I get and where I send them to. They can even recognize the country flags. It is very rewarding.
Hi
I work with children as part of my job in Istanbul at an ecological park. On October 5, I am gonna unite two activities; one for World Postcard Day and the other for the World Day for the Protection of Animals, which is October, 4. I will conduct a workshop in which children will choose an animal and write a postcard to that animal. I hope I can boost love for both animals and postcards in the children's hearts. :-)
I did this last year at my local library and it was a big success! I heard from the librarian that a few patrons even signed up for Postcrossing after that. Thanks for the reminder - I have been meaning to take another basket of postcards over for this year!
I always see the brand below the avatar of people at WPD, I would like to know how I can get my first brand. Is it enough to just send a postcard on the day that Postcrossing understands it as my participation, is that it?
We are having a s'mores and postcards party on the roof on the 1st! so excited. I'll post pics.
I plan to renew my Postcrossing Supporter Badge among other things I will be doing on World Postcard Day...and sending some postcards, of course.
Hello postcrossing friends!
I work in an elementary school in a small country town. I´m going to write postcards with pupils, many of them don`t know how to write a postcard.
I´m also going to take a part in a local meetup in my hometown :)
I am going to carry out a lesson on postcards, the history etc. I'm also going to put a basket of postcards in the school library and the school office to encourage everyone to send a postcard.
Thank you for the idea :) Belarusian Agricultural Library is going to join to celebrating this event! I will show the photos on the forum a bit later.
Great! What a nice idea 🤗
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