Explore Chicago architectural landmark at Annual Conference and support Cultural Communities Fund

CHICAGO — Attendees of the 2013 American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in Chicago will have the opportunity to spend an evening exploring an original Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house, while supporting the ALA Cultural Communities Fund (CCF). Tickets will be available for a remarkable evening at Chicago's renowned Robie House on the University of Chicago campus at 5 p.m. or 7 p.m. on Monday, July 1.

The evening will include a cocktail reception and self-guided tours through Robie House, with docents from the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust available on site to answer questions. Proceeds from the event will benefit the ALA Cultural Communities Fund, an endowment to support cultural programming in libraries. A limited number of tickets will be available for $75 as part of conference registration, available online starting Jan. 7 at www.ala.org/annual. Those intending to register for the ALA Annual Conference are urged to mark their calendars now for this unique event.

The Robie House is considered one of the most important buildings in American architecture. It was created by Frank Lloyd Wright for his client Frederick C. Robie, a forward-thinking businessman. Designed in Wright's Oak Park studio in 1908 and completed in 1910, the building is both a masterpiece of the Prairie style and renowned as a forerunner of modernism in architecture. More information on the Robie House is available online.

Recognizing the importance of libraries as community cultural centers, in 2003 the ALA Public Programs Office established the Cultural Communities Fund, an endowment to support cultural programming in all types of libraries. Funding from CCF will strengthen the ability of libraries and librarians to respond to community needs for cultural programming through the creation of professional development opportunities for programming librarians as well as the creation of national model programs and resources for libraries to develop local capacity for programs. For more information on CCF or to contribute online, visit www.ala.org/ccf.

CCF is an initiative of the ALA Public Programs Office, which was established in 1990 to foster cultural programming as an integral part of library service in all types of libraries. The unit assists librarians across the country by providing leadership, resources, training and networking opportunities in order to provide library users of all ages with cultural opportunities. For more information about the ALA Public Programs Office, visit www.ala.org/publicprograms.

Related Links

For more information on the ALA Cultural Communities Fund, visit http://www.ala.org/offices/ppo/ccf/culturalcommunities.

For more information on the ALA Public Programs Office, visit http://www.ala.org/offices/ppo.

For more information on the Robie House and the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust, go to http://www.gowright.org/research/wright-robie-house.html.