American Library Association, communities nationwide celebrate National Library Week, April 6-12

Contact: Larra Clark


312-280-5043

For Immediate Release


April 7, 2003

American Library Association, communities nationwide celebrate National Library Week, April 6-12

(CHICAGO) The American Library Association joins schools, colleges and university and communities nationwide in celebrating the contributions of libraries and librarians during the 45th annual National Library Week, April 6-12.

“Only free countries have free libraries,” said ALA President Maurice J. Freedman. “Knowledge is power, and our libraries and librarians make everyone in this country more powerful. I hope everyone will take time this week to celebrate the world of resources their libraries have to offer.”

National Library Week 2003 marks the third year of The Campaign for America's Libraries, a multi-year public education campaign sponsored by the ALA and libraries nationwide to speak loudly and clearly about the value of libraries and librarians in the 21st century. More than 10,000 public, school and academic libraries in all 50 states are being reached with @ your library

TM
 , The Campaign for America's Libraries. Nationally, several efforts will take center stage during National Library Week:

  • Campaign to Save America's Libraries


     ALA President Maurice J. (Mitch) Freedman, New York library leaders and local library users will mark NLW by speaking out against cuts in school, public and academic libraries on Thursday, April 10, at 11 a.m. at the Flushing Branch of Queens Public Library. Cuts proposed in almost every state are deeper than those sustained even in the Great Depression, and they are affecting library services in schools, college and university campuses and communities everywhere. Librarians across the country also are taking to the airwaves in a coordinated radio outreach effort to raise awareness about threats to library programs, staff and resources.
  • Academic and Research Library Campaign


    The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), the largest division of the ALA, will launch the Academic and Research Library Campaign at its National Conference in Charlotte, April 10-13. All 12,000 ACRL members also will receive copies of a new toolkit designed to assist them in implementing this marketing and public relations initiative using the @ your library

    TM     brand. Dozens of libraries in community colleges, colleges, universities and research institutions are inviting students and faculty to celebrate NLW with tours, exhibitions, author readings and special programs.
  • Put it in Writing @ your library

    TM


    The ALA and
    Woman's Day magazine have doubled the number of libraries participating in the 2003 Put it in Writing @ your library™ program. As a result of sold-out workshops last year, 15 libraries nationwide will host free writing workshops during the week, led by writers from
    Woman's Day.

The program is designed to promote the wealth of resources libraries provide to aspiring writers. Women across the country also are invited to submit 700 words or less answering the question “Is there a book that changed your life?” to
Woman's Day for a chance to be featured in an upcoming issue of the magazine. The magazine also will debut this summer a new online book club featuring librarian book recommendations.

First sponsored in 1958, National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. Many school libraries also celebrate the month of April as School Library Media Month sponsored by the American Association of School Librarians, a division of ALA, with the same theme as National Library Week.

With more than 63,000 members worldwide, the ALA is the voice of America's libraries and the millions of people who depend on them. To learn more about National Library Week and the ALA, please visit us
online.