YALSA names winners of 2008 Great Books Giveaway
Contact: Stephanie Kuenn
Communications Specialist, YALSA
(312) 280-2128
skuenn@ala.org
For Immediate Release,
January 29, 2008
YALSA names winners of 2008 Great Books Giveaway
CHICAGO - The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), the fastest-growing division of the American Library Association (ALA), named Margaret Green Junior High School (MGJHS) in Cleveland, Miss., the winner of its annual Great Books Giveaway. Its library will receive one-ton of books, audiobooks and other materials, worth approximately $30,000, from items publishers and producers donated to YALSA in 2007. Due to the volume of donations, YALSA was able to name a second-place winner: Camden County High School in Camden, N.C., which will receive approximately $4,000 in books, audiobooks and other materials.
In the winning application, librarian Beverly Fioranelli said the MGJHS collection contained many books that were more than 30 to 50 years old-just 15 percent of MGJHS's collection includes books with recent publication dates. For many students in Cleveland, the MGJHS is their only source for books and other library materials, due to a lack of public transportation. "The money needed to improve the MGJH library simply is not there," Fioranelli said. "It is a blessing to receive the items awarded in the Great Book Giveaway."
Due to the volume of material received in the past year, YALSA was able to name a second-place winner, Camden County High School. In her application, Beth Strecker, media coordinator, noted that Camden County is the only district in the state of North Carolina without a public library. "For our residents, we provide the only local access to library materials," Strecker said.
The application form and information for next year's Great Book Giveaway are available on the YALSA Web site,
www.ala.org/yalsa.
Applications must be received in the YALSA office by Dec. 1. For more information contact the YALSA office, 800-545-2433, ext. 4390; or e-mail
YALSA@ala.org.
For more than 50 years, YALSA has been the world leader in selecting books, videos, and audio books for teens. For more information about YALSA or for lists of recommended reading, viewing and listening, go to
www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists, or contact the YALSA office by phone, 800-545-2433, ext. 4390; or e-mail
yalsa@ala.org.
