ALA reaches diverse audiences through El día de los niños/El día de los libros

Contact: Jennifer Petersen


ALA PR Coordinator


312-280-5043


jpetersen@ala.org

NEWS


For Immediate Release


May 19, 2009

CHICAGO - As hundreds of libraries across the country celebrated El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day), also known as Día, on April 30, a variety of high-level English and Spanish media provided coverage of programs and events.

The American Library Association’s (ALA) Public Information Office (PIO) worked closely with Día sponsors to develop effective media materials to support Día publicity efforts. Media outreach resulted in multiple placements with such print, radio and Web news sites as EFE, the Spanish language equivalent to the Associated Press (AP);
Yahoo! En Español;
La Prensa;
Univision.com;
About.com;
American Libraries;
Reno Gazette Journal; and
The Detroit News, resulting in a circulation total of 97,127,000.




The PIO also worked with Día founder Pat Mora and the Association of Library Service to Children (ALSC) to gather stories on how libraries enrich lives of new Americans for a segment entitled “Librarian Rockstars” on National Public Radio’s Latino USA. PIO asked library staff members and users to share stories with the show’s producers, sending an information request through PRTalk, a PIO listserv that contains more than 600 library PR subscribers. Millions listened as Maria Hinojosa, the show’s host, discussed the value of libraries and the critical roles librarians play in supporting literacy.

Held annually, El día de los niños/El día de los libros, (
www.ala.org/dia), is a national celebration that brings together children, books, languages and cultures emphasizes the importance of literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

ALSC, a division of the ALA, is the national home for Día and works with Día Founder, Pat Mora, and national organizations, such as Día Founding Partner REFORMA, to initiate communication and education efforts that promote Día to families across the United States. REFORMA is the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking.