ALA volunteers to support Washington, D.C., libraries and more

CHICAGO - More than 100 American Library Association (ALA) volunteers from across the United States will gather Friday, June 25, at the Washington Convention Center for “Libraries Build Communities,” a daylong community service effort that will provide aid to local organizations. This year’s efforts will support local public and school libraries, the Capital Area Food Bank and Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C. Coordinated by the ALA Chapter Relations Office, this volunteer event is in conjunction with the ALA’s 2010 Annual Conference held June 24 – 29.

Volunteer duties at the libraries will consist of shelving books, reorganizing and updating collections, and record entering and cataloging.

Michael Dowling, ALA Chapter Relations Office director, said, “Libraries are busier than ever helping families survive during these tough economic times, yet many are facing closures and elimination of librarians and library workers. In addition to assisting the Food Bank and Habitat for Humanity, ALA member-volunteers will help D.C. libraries by providing their expertise and additional staff support.”

The Libraries Build Communities project began in New Orleans during the 2006 American Library Association Annual Conference, when ALA volunteers helped with projects related to the damage inflicted by Hurricane Katrina. ALA members continue to volunteer to assist in cities where they meet for Annual Conferences.

The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members. Its mission is to promote the highest quality library and information services and public access to information.

For more information on the 2010 Annual ALA Conference, please visit the ALA Conference Web site at www.ala.org/annual, or contact ALA Media Relations Manager Macey Morales at (312) 280-4393, mmorales@ala.org, or ALA PR Coordinator Jennifer Petersen at (312) 280-5043, jpetersen@ala.org.