HomeSt Mary Parish Library wins 2004 Scholastic Grolier Grant

                        Contact: Megan Humphrey
Coordinator, @ your library 
                                             312-280-4020
                                mhumphrey@ala.org

For Immediate Release
January 12, 2004

St. Mary Parish Library wins 2004 Scholastic/Grolier National Library Week Grant

The St. Mary Parish Library in Franklin, La., is the winner of the 2004 Scholastic Library/Grolier National Library Week Grant for its program “do some thing @ your library^®.”

The $5,000 grant, sponsored by Scholastic Library Publishing and administered by the American Library Association (ALA) Public Awareness Committee, is awarded annually for the best public awareness campaign in support of National Library Week (April 18-24).    This year, libraries were asked to develop a National Library Week proposal using the “@ your library^®” brand to promote ALA President Carla Hayden’s presidential initiative of Equity of Access.  Equity of Access is defined as “when all people have access to all library materials, no matter their age, ethnicity, physical ability, income, language, geographic location or type of library.” 

Working with the local high school and community health network, a local family literacy project and a social service agency, St. Mary Parish Library will promote the resources, programs and services available at the library for all citizens of its rural community.  The “do some thing @ your library” program will run January through April.

To reach out to the community as a whole, billboards using the “do some thing @ your library” slogan will be placed on both ends of the parish on the state highway.   The library will also address specific populations.  Working with the local Head Start program, the library will tape a video of fathers reading to their children.  The video will be shown on public television in January and February.  Local fathers will also be involved in the 2-month “Reader’s Shoot Out,” which requires fathers to read over 15 books to their children.  

The library will also work with teachers on a student poster contest using the “do some thing @ your library” theme.   Local businesses throughout the parish will display the winning posters.  To further involve students in the library’s program, students at the local high school will work with the local community health network to produce two television programs on health care and the resources available at the library. 

In April, the program will conclude with several programs.   The library will host a workshop for seniors to let them know about state library resources for those with visual or physical limitations where local physicians will be on hand to answer questions about vision care.  There will also be programs for low-income parents, physically and mentally handicapped students and their parents, and a local dentist will speak at a program called, “Healthy Readers.” 

Members of the 2004 Grolier Grant Jury include: Betty Turock (chair), Rutgers University, School of Communication, Information and Library Studies; Catherine Beyers, Southern Bluffs Elementary School, La Crosse, Wisc.; Glynda Christian, Napa (Calif.) City-County Library; and Paul Crumlish, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, N.Y.

A copy of the winning proposal is available online at www.ala.org/@yourlibrary.

@ your library is the brand for The Campaign for America's Libraries, ALA’s multi-year public awareness initiative to promote the value of libraries and librarians in the 21^st century.  To learn more about the campaign and to access free tips and tools to help your library get on board during National Library Week and throughout the year, please visit the campaign Web site at www.ala.org/@yourlibrary.