<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:x="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:excel" xmlns:p="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:powerpoint" xmlns:a="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:access" xmlns:dt="uuid:C2F41010-65B3-11d1-A29F-00AA00C14882" xmlns:s="uuid:BDC6E3F0-6DA3-11d1-A2A3-00AA00C14882" xmlns:rs="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:rowset" xmlns:z="#RowsetSchema" xmlns:b="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:publisher" xmlns:ss="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:spreadsheet" xmlns:c="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:component:spreadsheet" xmlns:odc="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:odc" xmlns:oa="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:activation" xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" xmlns:q="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/" xmlns:D="DAV:" xmlns:mt="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/meetings/" xmlns:x2="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/excel/2003/xml" xmlns:ois="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/ois/" xmlns:dir="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/directory/" xmlns:ds="http://www.w3.org/2000/09/xmldsig#" xmlns:dsp="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/dsp" xmlns:udc="http://schemas.microsoft.com/data/udc" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:sub="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/2002/1/alerts/" xmlns:ec="http://www.w3.org/2001/04/xmlenc#" xmlns:sp="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/" xmlns:sps="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:udcs="http://schemas.microsoft.com/data/udc/soap" xmlns:udcxf="http://schemas.microsoft.com/data/udc/xmlfile" xmlns:udcp2p="http://schemas.microsoft.com/data/udc/parttopart" xmlns:wf="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/workflow/" xmlns:dsss="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2006/digsig-setup" xmlns:dssi="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2006/digsig" xmlns:mdssi="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/package/2006/digital-signature" xmlns:mver="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns:mrels="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/package/2006/relationships" xmlns:spwp="http://microsoft.com/sharepoint/webpartpages" xmlns:ex12t="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/types" xmlns:ex12m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/exchange/services/2006/messages" xmlns:pptsl="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/soap/SlideLibrary/" xmlns:spsl="http://microsoft.com/webservices/SharePointPortalServer/PublishedLinksService" xmlns:Z="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:" xmlns:st="" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
h1
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 1 Char";
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:24.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";
font-weight:bold;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
span.Heading1Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 1 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 1";
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";
font-weight:bold;}
span.EmailStyle19
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:windowtext;}
span.EmailStyle20
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:blue;
font-weight:normal;
font-style:normal;
text-decoration:none none;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=Section1>
<p align=right style='text-align:right'>Contact: Mark Gould<br>
Director<br>
ALA Public Information Office<br>
(312) 280-5041<br>
<a href="mailto:mgould@ala.org">mgould@ala.org</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p>NEWS<br>
For Immediate Release<br>
April 1, 2009<o:p></o:p></p>
<h1 align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Thinkfinity
@ your library features new online resource to help supporters advocate for
libraries<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<p>(CHICAGO) “Add It Up: Libraries Make the Difference in Youth
Development and Education” is a new web-based resource that helps advocates
make the case for libraries. The site contains talking points, statistics, and
links to research that equip library advocates with information to speak
articulately on behalf of the impact libraries have on school age children.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>To learn more about the “Add it up” web site, visit <a
href="http://Thinkfinity.org/@yourlibrary">Thinkfinity.org/@yourlibrary</a>, a
collection of resources featuring librarian specific content from ALA.
Thinkfinity.org is the Verizon Foundation’s comprehensive program and online
portal to 55,000 standards-based, grade-specific, K-12 lesson plans and other
educational resources provided in partnership with many of the nation’s leading
educational and literacy organizations. Content for Thinkfinity.org is
provided through a partnership between the Verizon Foundation and 11 of the
nation’s leading organizations in the fields of education and literacy.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>“Add It Up” makes the case for libraries as being indispensable in the
lives of students, from preschool through high school. An example of the type
of material available includes this talking point and research:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>“Public library programming and books for children make a difference. Public
libraries provide engaging programs and amazing collections that help students
from all backgrounds become excited and enthusiastic readers.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>“Programming and outreach for children and young adults is an important part
of public library services. In 2006, there were over 102,000 library programs
geared towards young adults with a total attendance of 2.1 million students.
Under school outreach efforts, 70% of libraries reported that classes visited
the library and 73% reported that the library visited classes. Libraries also
reported strong partnerships with other organizations to serve youth: 66% with
youth organizations, 54% with recreational organizations, 52% with cultural
organizations, and 38% with health or mental health organizations. In 2006, 77%
of libraries reported they had a children’s or young adult page on their website.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p>According to Keith Michael Fiels, executive director, American Library
Association, “A growing body of research and studies now proves what the
library community already knows is true: libraries are indispensable in the
lives of children and teens. The problem is that until now, it has been
difficult to distill all that data into products that library advocates can
easily use and funders can easily understand. This new online resource does
just that. The goal is to help library advocates articulate the positive,
transformational impact that public libraries and school library media programs
have on children and teens.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>###<o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>