January—A year of good reading ahead

The Works Projects Administration (WPA) was established in 1935 as a government program designed to employ millions of job-seekers for public works projects with a goal of alleviating the economic effects of the Great Depression. January—A year of good reading ahead was designed in 1941 in Chicago, Illinois. It was one of more than 30,000 poster designs created by artists working under the Federal Art Project (FAP)—a subset of the WPA—to promote community activities, proactive approaches to health, and positive social values. January—A year of good reading ahead kicked off a special series of monthly WPA posters as a part of a statewide library project encouraging reading and promoting Illinois state libraries and their role in the larger community. January is particularly eye-catching with bright hues and an optimistic sentiment. A tightly-bundled child pulls a big ol’ sled full of books toward the coziest of cottages—an idealistic image to start the year off right.