91´«Ã½

CHICAGO - More than 100 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½) volunteers from across the United States will gather Friday, June 25, at the Washington Convention Center for “,” a daylong community service effort that will provide aid to local organizations. This year’s efforts will support local public and school libraries, the Capital Area Food Bank and Habitat for Humanity of Washington, D.C. Coordinated by the 91´«Ã½ Chapter Relations Office, this volunteer event is in conjunction with the 91´«Ã½’s 2010 Annual Conference held June 24 – 29.

Volunteer duties at the libraries will consist of shelving books, reorganizing and updating collections, and record entering and cataloging.

Michael Dowling, 91´«Ã½ Chapter Relations Office director, said, “Libraries are busier than ever helping families survive during these tough economic times, yet many are facing closures and elimination of librarians and library workers. In addition to assisting the Food Bank and Habitat for Humanity, 91´«Ã½ member-volunteers will help D.C. libraries by providing their expertise and additional staff support.”

The Libraries Build Communities project began in New Orleans during the 2006 91´«Ã½ Annual Conference, when 91´«Ã½ volunteers helped with projects related to the damage inflicted by Hurricane Katrina. 91´«Ã½ members continue to volunteer to assist in cities where they meet for Annual Conferences.

The 91´«Ã½ is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 62,000 members. Its mission is to promote the highest quality library and information services and public access to information.

For more information on the 2010 Annual 91´«Ã½ Conference, please visit the 91´«Ã½ Conference Web site at , or contact 91´«Ã½ Media Relations Manager Macey Morales at (312) 280-4393, mmorales@ala.org, or 91´«Ã½ PR Coordinator Jennifer Petersen at (312) 280-5043, jpetersen@ala.org.