ALA Hurricane Katrina Library Relief Fund

Contact:
Larra Clark

ALA Media Relations

312-280-5043

For Immediate Release

March 14, 2006

ALA Hurricane Katrina Library Relief Fund surpasses $300,000

CHICAGO - The American Library Association's (ALA) Hurricane Katrina Library Relief Fund has raised more than $300,000 to help rebuild hundreds of libraries that were damaged or destroyed by hurricanes in the Gulf Coast region.

Recent donations from the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii ($1,720), the New Jersey Library Association ($1,895), the Sun City Hilton Head Community Association ($10,000), and Thomson Gale and Sleeping Bear Press ($10,415), who donated $1 for every copy sold of "B is for Bookworm" by Louisiana author Anita C. Prieto helped push the total raised beyond $300,000.

"I am pleased at the steady momentum we continue to gain through donations from across the library community," said ALA President Michael Gorman. "A library is the cornerstone of its community, and every contribution will help a town, a school or a university become whole again. Thank you for your support."

Over 1,500 ALA members, corporations, institutions, foundations, Friends groups, and individuals have contributed to the fund.

Tax-deductible donations to the ALA Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund can be made at
http://www.ala.org/katrina. ALA also will be collecting donations for the Hurricane Katrina Library Relief Fund during the ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans, June 22-28, 2006.

ALA President Michael Gorman kicked off the relief fund on September 21 with initial support from Bowker, CSA, ProQuest, and RefWorks.