[CALIBK12] Are you looking for a local library service project with big impact?!

[debbie at abilock.net]

The African Library Project: How a U.S. School Can Start a Library in Africa

"You can change the world!" Parents and educators often make this claim to
young people to inspire future action.  But what if we could take action
right now to change the world together?

In a unique grassroots effort to end the book famine in Africa, the
nonprofit African Library Project (ALP) is calling on U.S. schools and other
organizations to conduct local book drives to help start small libraries in
Africa.  ALP matches a volunteer U.S. group with a specific African school
or community where few books have been accessible and where literacy
programs are in desperate need of books.  

ALP coordinates book drives run by everyone from six-year-olds to senior
citizens.  And we've made it super easy for any school group to collect
books, pack them and ship them to those who need the books most.  You can
read all about the African Library Project website,
www.africanlibraryproject.org. To learn what is involved in doing a book
drive, go to the How to Help section and click on book drive guidelines.  

Here's how it works.  If your library or school would like to organize a
book drive, start by contacting us to let us know so we can match your
school with a specific library project that desperately needs books.  Next,
you organize a book drive and ask people in your community to donate gently
used books that they no longer need. Collect about 1000 books and raise $500
to cover the shipping costs to Africa.  Then pack the books and send them to
our warehouse, where we consolidate them into a huge container and ship them
to Africa.  Your books are distributed to your African partner and they take
over the development of the library (with our help).

Chris Bradshaw, Bay Area resident and founder of the African Library
Project, says, "Students learn that they can have a profound impact on the
lives of hundreds of Africans who otherwise don't have easy access to books.
During the course of a book drive they learn about Africa, gain an
appreciation of our own resources, develop leadership skills and build local
community spirit as they help start a small library in Africa.  It's amazing
what we can do when we roll up our sleeves and work together."

Questions? Call Chris: (650)851-3640 or e-mail her at: Chris Bradshaw
[chris at africanlibraryproject.org]

Debbie Abilock, Editor-in-Chief
Knowledge Quest
Palo Alto, CA 94306
http://www.ala.org/aasl/kqweb
kq at abilock.net
Knowledge Quest is devoted to offering substantive information to assist
building-level library media specialists, supervisors, library educators,
and other decision makers concerned with the development of school library
media programs and services.  Articles address the integration of theory and
practice in school librarianship and new developments in education, learning
theory, and relevant disciplines.