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June 23, 2007
Libraries Build Communities at ALA - Friday
I joined a group of about 25 librarians from across the country to work at the Capital Area Food Bank as part of ALA’s Libraries Build Communities. This voluntary program started last year as a way to give back to the local area when ALA became one of the first major conferences to return and support New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Hundreds of people attending the conference volunteered to help the New Orleans community rebuild and the event was such a success it's being repeated in DC. All big cities have their problems, not just NO. Wherever Annual is held there are plenty of opportunities available to say, “ALA was here” besides having its members spend their money.
Groups this year could sign up to work at local schools, public libraries, Habitat for Humanity or the Capital Area Food Bank. This food bank where I worked supplies one million pounds of food per month to area homeless shelters, day cares, and other agencies in the greater DC area. The food is donated by grocery stores like Giant and Safeway, along with smaller local groups. The food pantry also grows some of the food it gives away and offers programs to at risk people within the community, teaching them about nutrition. According to Oye, the woman who directed us and kept us on task there are over 600,000 people at risk of hunger in the DC area. Think of it – filling the University of Michigan stadium six times with people and they’re all hungry! It’s hard to imagine and even harder when you realize, like Pat, a librarian from Notre Dame said that this is just one city and the same problem exists wherever ALA holds their annual convention. On the plus side, we calculated that our group today sorted and packed 40,000 pounds of juice, juice boxes and condiments and 14,375 pounds of pasta and macaroni.
Linda TerHaar Michigan’s Undergraduate Library Director also volunteered at a local school library. I haven’t had the chance to talk to her much but it sounds like her group worked hard, sorting old books and organizing and updating a local school media center collection. I managed to get a picture of her before the camera batteries went dead. Hopefully there will be some pictures on Flckr soon from other people.
Posted by swortman at June 23, 2007 09:21 AM
Comments
I (Linda) spent the day with 8 other volunteers working on projects in the library of the Benjamin Banneker High School. http://www.benjaminbanneker.org/about_bbahs/about_bbahs.htm
The librarian there has been in the school for about six months and now that the school year is over, she was delighted to have extra hands to help move some projects forward.
Members of our group processed about 100 new books from start to finish, painted a couple of walls, sorted through a multi-year (dusty) accumulation of gifts, and even did a bit of shelf-reading in the heavily-used collection.
In the process we got to know a terrific, energetic and creative high school librarian, we learned a little bit about the school, and I came back with a government information reference question that I'll need to consult with Grace about.
Posted by: terhaar at June 26, 2007 05:20 PM
The Medical Library Association is considering doing something similar at its meeting next year. Any good ideas or helpful hints to share with us?
Posted by: janeblum at June 26, 2007 07:28 PM
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