Preservation Week Press Kit

Preservation Week®, April 30 – May 6, 2023, promotes the role of libraries and other institutions in preserving personal and public collections and treasures. Through a variety of resources, Preservation Week provides ideas for public events that can be held at libraries, institutions, and other community spaces and tips and tools for preservation and disaster planning. Preservation Week is supported by Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures, a division of the American Library Association. The 2023 Preservation Week theme is “Building Resilient Communities.”

Media contact: Raymond Garcia, cmomedia@ala.org.

Preservation Week Honorary Chair Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha

“If history informs action and words shape thinking – preserving the truth of the lived experience is critical for our communities. Their stories of resilience and triumph show how an empowered community can demand change. When science and community come together and speak truth to power– we feel heard, seen, and thrive – and our eyes open to how society should be – a place where resilience is built into the fabric of our nation rather than demanded of our most vulnerable.”

— Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha

Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha is the C. S. Mott Endowed Professor of Public Health at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and founding director of the Pediatric Public Health Initiative. A pediatrician, scientist, activist and author, Dr. Hanna-Attisha was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World and recognized as one of USA Today’s Women of the Century for her role in uncovering the Flint water crisis and leading recovery efforts. Dr. Hanna-Attisha is the author of the New York Times 100 most notable book, What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City.

Every year, communities and their history are under threat from natural and human-made disasters. As a leading activist and public health expert who continues to serve the people of Flint, Dr. Hanna-Attisha has first-hand experience creating services and securing vital resources to foster a more resilient community. For librarians and stewards of community history, we know all can learn from her example this Preservation Week. Learn more about Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha.