Two More Libraries Win Alibris Collection Awards

Leading online bookseller supports libraries with $3000 annual grants

Alibris provides books to a Texas public library and an Alaska school library

EMERYVILLE, CA—January 22, 2006— Alibris has named the Flower Mound Public Library in Flower Mound, Texas, and the College Gate School Library in Anchorage, Alaska, as winners of the 2006 Alibris Collection Award. This is the third consecutive year that Alibris, a leading online bookseller, has provided $3,000 in books to help supply under-funded libraries with much-needed materials. Every year, more and more libraries turn to Alibris to expand their collections in specific areas of interest.

The awards were presented Sunday, January 22, 2006, during the American Library Association's Midwinter Meeting in San Antonio, Texas.

The Flower Mound Public Library will enhance its collection of beginning reading books, in support of their Sit! Stay!! Read!!! program, which matches reluctant readers with volunteer "pet partners" (trained dogs and their owners) for weekly sessions, where the children read to the dogs. Studies have shown that being with animals has a relaxing effect on readers, and the dogs are a nonjudgmental audience. After just a few weeks, program participants show significant improvement in their oral reading skills. As might be expected, books about dogs are a natural fit for reading in this program, and the Alibris Collection Award will be used to augment the library's collection of same.

"The Sit! Stay!! Read!!! program has made a huge difference in the lives of those who participate," said Sue Ridnour, Youth Services Manager at Flower Mound Public Library. "And during the last grading period, one of the boys who has been participating for a year or so was the only boy in this fifth grade class to get all As on his report card. You can't argue with that kind of success! I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Alibris for your very generous award to our library."

College Gate School in Anchorage, Alaska, plans to combat classroom bullying and intolerance with an enhanced collection of multicultural books and other children's literature that foster an understanding of different cultures to support a program called Books that Heal.

"We are delighted to have been chosen and we are happy to build our collection of library books," said Dona Helmer, School Librarian. "Our small school struggles to serve an increasingly multiethnic and multilingual community of students, and these new books will help to build cross-cultural compassion and empathy. Thank you, Alibris, for supplying books that will make a difference!"

The two recipients were chosen from dozens of qualified applicants, who each created wishlists of desired books. The Award jury was comprised of Toni Garvey, Director, Phoenix Public Library; Dr. Mark Sandler, Chief Collection Development Officer, University of Michigan; Dr. Lynn Sutton, Library Director, Wake Forest University; Jack Walsdorf, retired bookseller and book scholar; and Dr. Richard Weatherford, Co-Founder of Alibris.

"With so many deserving libraries having so many needs, we believe that this year's Award-winning libraries are selecting books that will genuinely improve the lives of their readers," said Shelly Stuard, Director of Alibris for Libraries. "Congratulations to this year's winners, and we look forward to helping more libraries acquire even more books in the year to come with the launch of our new Donate-A-Book program. Using Donate-A-Book, all libraries can more actively promote their wishlists to patrons, donors, alumni, and other constituents to solicit donations of long-sought materials. In any case, Alibris is happy to help facilitate the match among books, libraries, and readers."

Complete details of the Alibris Collection Award may be found at the Alibris for Libraries Web site (www.alibris.com/library).

About Alibris for Libraries
Alibris for Libraries is the leading library supplier of used and hard-to-find books, movies, and music. Alibris has millions of out-of-print, older in-print, and otherwise unavailable titles in stock. Alibris for Libraries offers flexible payment options, consolidated shipping, and custom tools for managing replacement and collection-development projects.