Contact: Megan McFarlane
Campaign Coordinator
mmcfarlane@ala.org
For Immediate Release
February 4, 2008
New season of Step Up to the Plate @ your library® begins;
promotional tools for librarians available online
ALA and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum are teaming up to promote season three of "Step Up to the Plate @ your library." This year, it’s a whole new "ball game," celebrating the 100th anniversary of the song "Take Me Out to the Ball Game."
Librarians can visit the program Web site now at www.ala.org/baseball to register for free promotional tools to help promote the program locally. Tools include program logos in both English and Spanish and a toolkit that includes sample press materials and programming ideas.
The first 100 libraries to register will receive a Jackie Robinson "History Lives" poster from ALA Graphics. Librarians who bring in the most entries can also win incentives for participation in the program.
Season three of "Step up to the Plate @ your library" program will officially launch to the public in April with program spokesperson and Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith.
This year’s program teams up two American classics – baseball and libraries – to promote the importance of information literacy skills and increase awareness of the library as an essential information resource. People of all ages will be encouraged to visit their library and answer a series of trivia questions inspired by "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." Categories of questions will include ballparks, baseball in popular culture, fan experience and baseball pioneers. One grand-prize winner will receive a trip to the Hall of Fame in October 2008.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a Founding Partner in The Campaign for America’s Libraries. Other Founding Partners include Dollar General, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and Woman’s Day magazine. The Campaign is made possible in part by ALA’s Library Champions, ALA’s highest level of corporate members, who support public awareness and advocacy on behalf of America’s libraries.