Libraries Build Communities
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The Libraries Build Communities project began in New Orleans during the 2006 American Library Association Annual Conference, when ALA volunteers helped with projects related to the damage inflicted by Hurricane Katrina.1 ALA members continue to volunteer to assist in cities where they meet for Annual Conferences.
Volunteer for the 2008 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim!
Register to participate in this day-long service effort, Friday, June 27, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., to help local libraries and the community! All participants will be notified in advance of the various projects and be able to pick the one in which they wish to participate. Your registration fee will be contributed to local library funds. Lunch, transportation, and a participation T-shirt are included. Tickets: $10 Event Code: AL3.
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If you've already registered, and you want to add Libraries Build Communities to your registration information, you can go to EDIT MY REGISTRATION - 2008 ANNUAL CONFERENCE.
Projects in Anaheim, at the 2008 ALA Annual Conference, include those at elementary schools, a middle school, a high school, a public library located in a Social Services shelter, and Second Harvest. Volunteer opportunities include inventory, cataloging and repairing a catalog, updating books, designing a bulletin board to encourage reading, archiving 115 years of high school history, helping with a puppet and craft show, and food distribution.
A description of the projects is now (May 19, 2008) available on the ALA wiki page Libraries Build Communities
Please help! Libraries Build Communities makes a huge difference to schools and libraries drastically affected by cuts in staff, budgets, and supplies.
How Projects Are Chosen
Prior to each Annual Conference, the ALA Chapter Relations Office provides a Libraries Build Communities Project Description Form to solicit volunteer opportunities.
The current ALA Libraries Build Communities Project Description Form is specific to the 2008 ALA Annual Conference, which will be held in Anaheim, California, June 26-July 2. ALA is looking for volunteer opportunities to assist libraries and other groups during these dates. Specifically:
- Volunteer opportunities will allow conference attendees to volunteer for a day-long (9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.) community service project on Friday, June 27.
- ALA will provide its volunteer-members with lunch and transportation to and from libraries or the project site. (ALA buses will pick up volunteers at the Anaheim convention center around 8:30 a.m., to be picked up by 3:30 or so to return to convention center.)
Many ALA members, of course, are eager to participate in library-related volunteer projects, either in public, school, or academic libraries. Member-volunteers particularly look for projects related to their professional skills set, including designing children's story times and reading to children, creating book clubs, designing literacy programs, working with immigrants and other underserved populations, helping libraries damaged due to weather, water, etc.
Nonetheless, they also have demonstrated their willingness to participate in various projects, such as helping out at food banks, painting, landscaping, and more!
If you need further information, please contact Don Wood, Program Officer, ALA Chapter Relations Office, at 1-800-545-2433, ext. 2429, or dwood@ala.org.
Please return completed forms to Don Wood, dwood@ala.org or Fax 312-280-4392, no later than Friday, April 30, 2008. Everyone who submits project proposals will be notified whether their proposals were selected for the Libraries Build Communities project.
Thank you for your interest and time!
1Donations for Hurricane Katrina Relief continue to be accepted by ALA. Donations are distributed to the libraries damaged by Katrina on behalf of the ALA Chapters (state library associations) in Louisiana and Mississippi.
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