Dear friends of bookmarks, dear IFOB members!

First of all, thank you very much for your comments and emails about the idea of launching a World Bookmark Day. After due and long consideration of the pros and the cons stated in your comments, I came to the conclusion that we should attempt this adventure. I’ll explain the reasons why tackling it seems to be more reasonable for us than just forgetting it.

The main pro for the idea is that a WOBODA is not only consistent with our mission - that is increasing the public awareness of bookmarks - but it is also an excellent means to support this goal. Actually, there is no doubt that a WOBODA would be a wonderful and valuable concept for us, if it would not entail any substantial disadvantages. The cons in your comments concentrated on one major problem: Is a WOBODA not a too big project for our young and small community? Are we able to afford the necessary time and work for such an enterprise without neglecting our current operations? These are serious concerns expressed by several members, indicating that there is a potential risk in this subject, and I am thankful for this feedback. 

On a closer look, it was obvious that the cons were associated in most cases with similar world commemorative days, particularly with The World Book Day (WBD). The WBD is indeed a huge project, designated by UNESCO and marked in over 100 countries all over the world. It goes without saying that we cannot handle such a giant project, not even approximately. Therefore, I can fully understand all the objections resulting from this scenario. With the distance of a few weeks, I was able to realise that on the other hand nobody forces us to start a gigantic project. We can start with a small project, small enough not to overstrain our resources.

A further question is if such a small project which we could afford momentarily will have any effect at all. I would say no, not immediately. But it can grow if we are patient. It will grow in step with us, and possibly with a little help from our friends, i.e. groups from outside which might fancy the project and support us. I don’t see any obstacles in starting the WOBODA as a small campaign, just as big as we are ready to invest in it. Of course, as with all new creations we bring into the world we cannot overlook the complete development of this child to the end. It will go its own way and possibly surprise us now and then. Let us get it going.

Let's say a few words about the abbreviation WOBODA which might sound unusual or even funny in your ears. The shortest word for the World Bookmark Day would be WBKD, however it is too similar to WBD with the risk of mixing them up. WBKMD looks a tiny bit more different, however, it is not a catchy one easy to memorise. After some discussion with my editor colleague Laine Farley, we agreed on WOBODA and hope you'll like it.  

I have been thinking a while about an appropriate date for the WOBODA. It should be placed in a part of the year where people are not under stress like around Christmas in many countries, and also not on the move as they are in holiday seasons. This would allow everyone to concentrate better on reading and activities associated with the day. The period between the new year and the start of spring seems to be a quiet and suitable season, at least here in Europe where the days are still short and dark and bad weather is around the next corner: ideal conditions to deal with books and bookmarks. Consulting the List of Commemorative Days on Wikipedia showed that a few days in the last week of February were not occupied with other celebration events. Finally, the selection fell on the 25th of February, which is a Saturday in 2017, the date of the very first celebration of the WOBODA.             

What do we need for the start? It is of course not enough just to declare a certain day to be World Bookmark Day, it must also be brought to the attention of other people to have an effect. The best way to do that is certainly, if people would talk about it. Sure, I can go and ask other websites and blogs to report about it; however, they are likely to do it if we also offer a nice story and pictures. Obviously, it is our task to create a story about the World Bookmark Day, and that story should better be a compelling one in order to motivate others to adopt and talk about it.

I had not to ponder long about a nice story to promote the WOBODA. We know since the appearance of the IFOB publication No. 1, that bookmarks are as old as the codex form of books we use today, around 2000 years. This new and astonishing fact which the IFOB has brought to light very recently is still unknown for the majority of the public. It should not be difficult to knit an interesting story around this information. The story could look like as follows:       

​We will offer some activities for people to join us in association with the day and in the run-up phase. Do you have ideas about activities for the WOBODA? Please do write your comments, they are welcome! 

Please check out also our new page WOBODA where all informations and activities associated with the World Bookmark Day can be seen.

​Asim Maner

​Recently at the breakfast table, while reading the newspaper I came across a report telling about the proposal of a Swiss magazin to introduce a new “Grandparents Day”. Funny idea indeed, and we had a good discussion in the family. This brought me to the question: why not launch a bookmark day? Well, thinking about it I tried to imagine the reaction of somebody hearing the first time about a bookmark day. “What the hell! A bookmark day? Have the bookmarks got that much important that a day has to be devoted to them?” Yes, I would guess a majority of people would react in a similar way to this idea, and that reaction sounded rather discouraging in my ears. Thus I did not pursue the idea further.

​Later on day a question popped up in my mind: “What the hell! Is that reaction bad at all?” At a closer look, I would say no, not at all. It shows only that somebody takes notice of a novelty. Don't we react in more or less the same way to most of the new things we encounter? Maybe it is exactly the reaction we would like to have: people taking notice of bookmarks. This is what brought me to write these lines and to confront you with the idea of a "World Bookmark Day”. What do you think about it? Is that a task for us, and is it worth to invest energy in such a project? Please write your comments, pro and contra, whatever you think, I’ll be happy to have your feedback. If somebody wishes to write more than a comment, you are welcome to write a blog post: please use the contact form on the right.

I could go on writing my further thoughts about such a project, however, I rather stop here and first read your comments in order to see what the general opinion is. Thank you for your comments.

​Asim Maner

Can the World Book Day be a model for us, or any other commemorative day?