ALA blog post focuses on Step Up to the Plate @ your library

Contact: Steve Zalusky


Manager of Communications, PIO


(312) 280-1546


szalusky@ala.org

NEWS


For Immediate Release


September 2, 2008

CHICAGO – The latest post on the American Library Association’s (ALA) Public Information Office blog, Visibility @ your library, discusses the Step Up to the Plate @ your library program.

Excerpts from a presentation on the history of the song “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” are included in a video about the Step Up to the Plate program and can be seen by clicking on
www.pio.ala.org/visibility.

The Step Up to the Plate program, conducted by the Public Information Office’s (PIO) Campaign for America’s Libraries, in conjunction with the National Baseball Hall of Fame, teams up two American classics - baseball and libraries - to promote the importance of information literacy skills and increase awareness of the library as an essential information resource.

The presentation featured in the video was delivered at the 2008 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif., by Andy Strasberg, co-author of “Baseball’s Greatest Hit: The Story of ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game.’” The ALA recently wrapped up the third season of Step Up to the Plate by celebrating the 100th anniversary of the song “Take Me Out to the Ballgame,” according to Megan Humphrey, manager, Campaign for America’s Libraries.

This season, people of all ages were encouraged to visit their library and answer a series of trivia questions inspired by "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." Categories of questions included ballparks, baseball in popular culture, fan experience and baseball pioneers. One grand-prize winner will receive a trip to the Hall of Fame in October 2008.

For more information, visit the Step Up to the Plate Web site,
http://www.ala.org/ala/pio/campaign/sponsorship/stepup/stepup.cfm.