World Book Day programming notes

World Book and Copyright Day on April 23 is being marked this year with very different programs in Poland and South Korea: one centered on giving books away, the other on policing how creative work is used. (unesco.org) (wns.uwr.edu.pl) (koreatimes.co.kr) At the Faculty of Social Sciences Library of the University of Wrocław, readers will be able to pick up withdrawn and duplicate copies on April 23, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the library hall. The library said the giveaway is tied directly to World Book and Copyright Day. (wns.uwr.edu.pl) In South Korea, the government is using the same date to launch a two-week copyright awareness campaign. The Korea Times reported on April 17 that the push is framed around stronger respect for creators’ rights and global copyright standards. (koreatimes.co.kr) UNESCO fixed April 23 as World Book and Copyright Day after a 1995 decision, linking reading and publishing with copyright protection in a single annual observance. The United Nations says the day is meant to promote books, reading and the protection of intellectual property. (press.un.org) (un.org) That split focus shows up in this year’s official UNESCO messaging too. UNESCO describes the day as both a celebration of reading and part of a wider book ecosystem that includes libraries, booksellers, publishers and authors. (unesco.org 1) (unesco.org 2) The Polish event is small and local, but it fits a familiar library practice: moving surplus copies back into circulation instead of storing or discarding them. The Wrocław notice specifically says the books being offered are withdrawn items and duplicates, not current circulating stock. (wns.uwr.edu.pl) The South Korean campaign lands in a country where copyright is also a live policy issue, not just a ceremonial one. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s public copyright guidance warns that reuse rules vary by format and rights holder, and official government pages repeatedly note that some images and third-party materials cannot be freely reused. (mcst.go.kr) (korea.kr) The wider international calendar is also shifting around the date. UNESCO says Rabat is the World Book Capital for 2026, following Rio de Janeiro’s 2025 term, with the handover taking effect on April 23. (unesco.org 1) (unesco.org 2) (en.prefeitura.rio) So the same UNESCO observance is producing two kinds of public programming next week: in Wrocław, readers leave with old library books in hand; in South Korea, they are being reminded that books and other creative works come with legal rights attached. (wns.uwr.edu.pl) (koreatimes.co.kr)