ALA releases 2007-08 Annual Report

Contact: Mark Gould
Director
ALA Public Information Office
(312) 280-5042
mgould@ala.org

NEWS
For Immediate Release
May 19, 2009

CHICAGO – The 2007-08 Annual Report of the American Library Association (ALA) is now available on the web, at http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/governance/annualreport/annualreport/annualreportarch/20072008/2008.cfm .  

The report features many highlights, including:

• Programs related to ALA President Loriene Roy’s focus on education, literacy and workplace wellness, including two forums on library education and A Gathering of Readers, an online event during National Library Week 2008 that celebrated indigenous children’s reading and culture.
• The award of $1 million to ALA from the Verizon Foundation for a 2-year libraries, literacy and gaming grant.
• The awarding of $5,000 grants to 38 libraries for The American Dream Starts @ your library, a partnership with ALA and the Dollar General Foundation to add and expand services for adult English language learners.
• The merger of the Association for Library Trustees and Advocates (ALTA) and the Friends of Libraries, USA (FOLUSA), creating the Association for Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations (ALTAFF).
• The raising of more than $374,000 in gifts and contributions for the Cultural Community Fund, an endowment established to support diverse cultural programming in libraries.
• The rise in membership to a record-high 66,624 members, a 3 percent increase from FY2007.
• The first anniversary of Ilovelibraries.org, ALA’s Web site for the public.
• The Campaign for America’s Libraries partnership with Univision to promote library use by Latinos.

This is only a small sample of the many outstanding achievements highlighted in the report.