Contact: Megan Humphrey
Campaign Coordinator
mhumphrey@ala.org
For Immediate Release
February 7. 2006
Maricopa County Library District wins 2006 Scholastic Library Publishing National Library Week Grant
Public awareness campaign showcases “Change your world @ your library®” theme
The Maricopa County Library District in Phoenix, Ariz., is the winner of the 2006 Scholastic Library Publishing National Library Week Grant.
The $5,000 grant, sponsored by Scholastic Library Publishing, a leading publisher of children’s print, non-fiction and online reference material for use in schools and public libraries under the imprints Grolier®, Children's Press® Franklin Watts®, Grolier Online®), and administered by the American Library Association (ALA) Public Awareness Committee, is awarded annually for the best public awareness campaign in support of National Library Week (April 2-8, 2006). This year, libraries were asked to develop a proposal using the 2006 National Library Week theme, “Change your world @ your library®.”
The Maricopa County Library District will partner with area schools and a local theater company to present an original stage adaptation of Tomás and the Library Lady by Pat Mora. The play tells the story of author Tomás Rivera’s childhood as a migrant farm worker and how his life was profoundly influenced by a librarian. The play will be presented at 30 local schools and the district’s libraries, reaching nearly 33,000 children. It also will be performed at the Arizona Book Festival and at the theater company’s venues.
The library district will couple the performances with a library card sign-up campaign. Every child attending a performance will receive a bilingual brochure promoting the library and encouraging them to sign up for a library card.
“The committee felt that live performance connected directly to a book to which they can relate is a creative and effective way to spread the library message to children, and we were impressed at the number of children this program will directly touch by working in partnership with local schools,” said Helen H. Spalding, chair of the 2006 National Library Week Subcommittee. “It will demonstrate how you really can “Change your world @ your library.”
“Maricopa County's outstanding and innovative library programs demonstrate the essential impact that a vibrant library can have on its community," said Greg Worrell, President of Scholastic Library Publishing, "Scholastic Library Publishing is proud to be a part of National Library Week and to support the Maricopa County Libraries, which are committed to creating an environment where all children are encouraged to learn and to read."
Members of the 2006 National Library Week Subcommittee are: Helen H. Spalding (chair), Portland State University Library, Portland, Oregon; Darlene Basone, school library consultant, Maineville, Ohio; Raissa Fomerand, Mamaroneck, New York.; Charles D. Hanson, Kettering University Library, Flint,Michigan; and Dee Yost, Hastings College Perkins Library, Hastings, Neb.
A copy of the winning proposal is
available online.
@ your library® is the brand for The Campaign for America's Libraries, ALA’s multi-year public awareness and advocacy campaign to promote the value of libraries, librarians and library workers in the 21st century. To learn more about the campaign and for access to free tips and tools to help your library get on board during National Library Week and throughout the year, please visit the campaign Web site at
www.ala.org/@yourlibrary.
About Scholastic Library Publishing
Scholastic Library Publishing creates a multitude of products, both in print and online, for the school and public library market under the imprints of Grolier, Children's Press, Franklin Watts, and Grolier Online. Children's Press offers primarily non-fiction series for elementary and middle schools, while Franklin Watts focuses on non-fiction for the high school market. Grolier publishes encyclopedias and curriculum-aligned reference sets, and is best known for the brands Encyclopedia Americana®and The New Book of Knowledge®.
About Scholastic
Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL) is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books and a leader in educational technology. Scholastic creates quality educational and entertaining materials and products for use in school and at home, including children's books, magazines, technology-based products, teacher materials, television programming, film, videos and toys. The Company distributes its products and services through a variety of channels, including proprietary school-based book clubs, school-based book fairs, and school-based and direct-to-home continuity programs; retail stores, schools, libraries and television networks; and the Company's Internet site,
www.scholastic.com.
