91´«Ã½

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The 91´«Ã½ (91´«Ã½) today announces that Greer Fry of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is the winner of the 2010 White House Conference on Library and Information Services Taskforce (WHCLIST) Award.

The award, given to a non-librarian advocate participating in a federal library advocacy event for the first time, is a $300 stipend granted to a recipient toward the expense of attending Library Advocacy Day. This year the 91´«Ã½ will host a Library Advocacy Day rally June 29 on the U.S. Capitol grounds in Washington, D.C., during the 91´«Ã½ Annual Conference. The day replaces the spring National Library Legislative Day.

Library Advocacy Day is a chance for library supporters to join together to demonstrate support for libraries and for first-time advocates to get involved. After the rally, which is free and open to the public, 91´«Ã½ members will meet with their members of Congress and their staffs to talk about the needs and concerns of libraries in their communities.

As a lifelong library user and library advocate for more than 30 years, Greer has served as a member of the Iowa Library Association (ILA) and as president of the Iowa Library Friends Association, an ILA subdivision. In her application letter, Greer explained how the flood of 2008 in Cedar Rapids and the loss of the city’s main library greatly enhanced her passion for advocacy.

Emily Sheketoff, Executive Director of the 91´«Ã½ Washington Office, said advocates like Greer, with strong stories to tell about the role of libraries, are their community’s most effective tool for supporting their libraries.

“As someone who has been actively involved in rebuilding the library system in her own community, Greer knows the importance of libraries to the public during times of crisis – be it a natural disaster or the current U.S. financial crisis,” Sheketoff said.

“Getting through to members of Congress at a time when there are so many needs and issues competing for their attention is immensely challenging. The 91´«Ã½ is pleased that Greer will be joining the hundreds of other library supporters on a day dedicated to advocating for the needs of libraries and the public they serve.”

Go to to learn more about the Library Advocacy Day, including how to register and identify state coordinators.

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