Articles on how kids are learning how to make movies with the help of their local library, how librarians are helping job seekers prepare for job interviews, lists of youth media award winners and much more can be found on the @ your library Web site. The www.atyourlibrary.org Web site provides information and recommended resources that everyone can take advantage of at their local library.

@yourlibrary.org is the public Web site for the American Library Association’s public awareness campaign —the Campaign for America’s Libraries, which highlights the value of libraries and librarians and connects people to the free resources at their local library.

Check out the latest issue of the newsletter below.

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In January 2010, the American Library Association (ALA) received a two-year grant of $750,000 from the  Dollar General Literacy Foundation for “The American Dream Starts @ your library.” This funding makes it possible for ALA to fund 70 public libraries in Dollar General communities to develop literacy programs for adult English language learners.

To be eligible for funding, the applicant institution must be a public library, or a public library with a bookmobile providing literacy services for adult English language learners, and must be within 20 miles of a Dollar General Store, distribution center or corporate office. Each funded library will receive a onetime $5,000 grant.

Applications for funding are being accepted online through Sunday, Feb. 28, 2010. Selected applicants will be notified in early April, 2010. To learn more about the American Dream Starts @ your library, the library grants and to apply online, please visit www.americandreamtoolkit.org .

Dollar General is a Partner in the Campaign for America’s Libraries (www.ala.org/@yourlibrary), ALA’s public awareness campaign that promotes the value of libraries and librarians.

In 2007, the American Library Association received a similar grant from Dollar General, the Tennessee-based corporation, for mini-grants aimed at helping public libraries expand literacy services to adult English-language learners. In 2008, ALA funded 34 public libraries in 18 states serving communities from under 850 to more than 1 million. Libraries used these funds to expand multi-lingual print and digital literacy collections, improve technology, build mobile language labs, add literacy programs and services, develop training manuals, produce outreach videos,  and train tutors. For additional information about the funded libraries visit http://www.americandreamtoolkit.org/programs.html.

In the following video, Dale Lipschultz, literacy officer with the ALA’s Office for Literacy and Outreach Services, talks about the grant.

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CHICAGO – Articles on  how kids are learning how to make movies with the help of their  local library,  how librarians are helping job seekers prepare for job interviews,  lists of youth media award winners, and  much more can be found on the @ your library website.  The  www.atyourlibrary.org website provides  information and recommended resources that everyone can take advantage of at their local library.

@yourlibrary.org is the website for the American Library Association’s public awareness campaign —the Campaign for America’s Libraries, which highlights the value of libraries and librarians and connects people to the free resources at their local library.

“The site has been designed to encourage the public   to  visit their local libraries and to develop  a long-term, vibrant relationship between communities and their libraries. We want to get the word out that libraries are comprehensive, modern, efficient and easy-to-use places that the public is using in record numbers,” says  Mark Gould, director of the American Library Association’s Public Information Office.

Prepared by  librarians and other experts, new articles are uploaded regularly with how-tos and tips for parents, job seekers, teenagers, and kids. Recommended resources are linked to the World Cat database, which provides a list of the nearest libraries where the recommended item can be accessed.

“We welcome you to browse the site to learn about all sorts of interesting topics, but most importantly we encourage you to visit your local library to find out how you can benefit from the knowledge of the librarians and the abundant resources available there,” Gould says.

Visitors to the site can sign up for a  regular newsletter for updates on new content. Visitors can also follow developments on the site on Twitter, through  Facebook and on the @ your library blog.

The site is underwritten by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Disney Book Group.

Contributed by Mark Gould, Director, ALA Public Information Office

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