We the People Bookshelf

we the people picturing america bookshelf

Image courtesy of Julie Paschkis

NEH, ALA announce We the People Bookshelf awards to 4,000 libraries

The American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) selected 4,000 school and public libraries throughout the country to receive the seventh We the People Bookshelf. Libraries from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and several U.S. territories received the collection of 17 books for young readers on the theme “A More Perfect Union.” A full list of Bookshelf titles and recipients is available at the NEH website.

Final reports for the We the People "A More Perfect Union" Bookshelf recipients were due May 31, 2011.

In addition to the set of 17 books for young readers, the selected libraries also received bonus materials to support library programs, including a DVD edition of “The Civil War,”the award-winning documentary by Ken Burns and posters, bookmarks and bookplates to assist in the promotion of the We the People Bookshelf. Some 1,000 of the selected libraries also received three of the Bookshelf titles in Spanish translation.

The Bookshelf grants were part of the NEH’s We the People program, which aimed to encourage and strengthen the teaching, study and understanding of American history and culture through libraries, schools, colleges, universities and cultural institutions. Between 2003 and 2010, NEH and ALA distributed 17,000 We the People Bookshelves to public and school libraries.

Questions may be directed to the ALA Public Programs Office, publicprograms@ala.org or 800.545.2433 x5045.

This page brought to you by the American Library Association’s Public Programs Office.

Press Releases