Via press release
On October 29, American Library Association (ALA) President Sari Feldman will officially launch Libraries Transform, a national public awareness campaign that will highlight the transformative nature of our nation’s libraries and elevate the critical role libraries play in the digital age.
As part of the national launch, Feldman will tour a variety of libraries in Washington, D.C. to view the power of libraries in action and to gather best practices that will be shared with the library profession and the public at large.
Rapid advances in technology are fueling a library renaissance. No longer just places for books, libraries now offer an assortment of free digitally-based programs and services including 3-D printing, ebooks, digital recording studios and technology training. Such tech-based resources are transforming lives through digital literacy and lifelong learning, contributing to education, employment, entrepreneurship, engagement and empowerment. Yet libraries are often overlooked as catalysts for powerful individual and community change.
“Today’s libraries are not just about what we have for people, but what we do for and with people,” said Feldman. “The goal of the Libraries Transform campaign is to change the perception that ‘libraries are just quiet places to do research, find a book, and read’ to a shared understanding of libraries as dynamic centers for learning in the digital age. Libraries of all kinds foster individual opportunity that ultimately drives the success of our communities and our nation.”
Feldman will officially launch the Libraries Transform campaign from Washington, D.C., with tours of transformative libraries such as Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library, George Washington University’s Gelman Library, Thomson Elementary School library, and join Smithsonian library staff for a tour of the museum’s Fantastic Worlds exhibit.
“This is an exciting time for libraries, as institutions of all types continue to transform to meet the digital and print information needs of their users,” Feldman said. “It is through the transformation of library organizations that library professionals can continue to fulfill their role in leveling the playing field for all who seek to transform their lives through education and lifelong learning.”
For more information about Libraries Transform please visit http://www.librariestransform.org.
