Alibris Presents Libraries with $3,000 Collection Awards
Leading online bookseller provides books for refugee assistance and for Hurricane Katrina recovery and research
EMERYVILLE, CA—January 16, 2008—Alibris, the premiere online destination for new and used books, music, and movies, has named the International Community School in Decatur, Georgia, and the Katrina Research Center Repository at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, as winners of the 2008 Alibris Collection Award.
This is the fifth consecutive year that Alibris has provided $3,000 book grants to help supply under-funded libraries with much-needed materials. Libraries turn to Alibris to expand their collections every year, and Alibris for Libraries has now contributed tens of thousands of dollars worth of valuable library materials since the award's inception.
The awards were presented Sunday, January 13, 2008, during the American Library Association's Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The International Community School (ICS) is a K-6 public school located in DeKalb County, Georgia, home to the highest percentage of refugees in the southeastern United States. The ICS is a Title 1 school serving a low-income population with limited resources to buy books. "In fact," said Pamela Zendt, ICS Media Specialist, "many of the books in our small media center are donated from within our community. But we need to build a library to serve students and families from 35 countries and 40 language groups. About half of our students are children of refugees, arriving from Sudan, Iraq, Bosnia, Liberia, Rwanda, Myanmar, and many other places torn apart by war, political turmoil and hunger. They bring with them not only gifts and talents, but also the deep physical and spiritual wounds of war." The ICS compiled a wishlist of desired books, which includes books that will help children and adults at the school understand what it means to be a refugee, giving hope to those who flee their homelands for a better life in America. "What good news this is for us," Ms. Zendt continued. "These books will bear fruit for many years to come, touching the lives of the newest members of the American family—our heartfelt thanks to Alibris for the honor."
The Katrina Research Center Repository (KRCR) at the University of Southern Mississippi plans to build a collection of books and multimedia materials that are related to the effects of, and the recovery from, Hurricane Katrina and other coastal disasters. "These materials will be used for purposes of education and research by students and educators across the Mississippi Gulf Coast and also for educational outreach projects in local elementary, middle, and secondary schools. We are thrilled and honored to be an award winner. The books on our wishlist are greatly needed and are very much appreciated—thank you, Alibris, for your continued support of libraries," said Dr. Teresa Welsh, Assistant Director of the KRCR.
The two recipients were chosen from more than 100 qualified applicants who each created online Alibris wishlists of desired books. The award jury included Toni Garvey, Director, Phoenix Public Library; Dr. Mark Sandler, Director, Center for Library Initiatives at the Committee on Institutional Cooperation; Dr. Lynn Sutton, Library Director, Wake Forest University; Jack Walsdorf, retired bookseller and book scholar; Dr. Richard Weatherford, Co-Founder of Alibris; and the members of the Alibris for Libraries Advisory Board.
"Congratulations to this year's Alibris Collection Award winners," said Shelly Stuard, Director of Alibris for Libraries. "With so many good libraries needing so many good books, we're proud to be able to support at least these two in particular this year, as the whole idea is to help promote both reading and understanding. Ideally, the Alibris Collection Award application process alone serves as a powerful reminder to all libraries that good things can happen when specific donations are sought. Happily, Alibris has practically every book libraries may be looking for, whether new or used, in print or out of print. Meanwhile, we look forward to helping libraries promote their wishlists to patrons, donors, alumni, and other constituents who may well be in the position to invest in their community by supplying much-needed books to libraries who, likewise and in turn, generously share the same with their readers."
Complete details of the awards may be found at the Alibris for Libraries Web site (library.alibris.com).
About Alibris for Libraries
Alibris for Libraries is the leading library supplier of used and hard-to-find books, movies, and music. Alibris has millions of out-of-print, older in-print, and otherwise unavailable titles in stock. Alibris for Libraries offers flexible payment options, consolidated shipping, and custom tools for managing replacement and collection-development projects.
