Alibris Awards Three Libraries with Collection Development Book Grants

Leading online bookseller donates new, used, and out-of-print books to Colorado public library, Illinois YWCA, and Brazilian anti-poverty center

EMERYVILLE, CA—January 21, 2007—Alibris, the premiere online destination for new and used books, has named three deserving public libraries as the co-winners of the 2007 Alibris Collection Award. This is the fourth consecutive year that Alibris has provided $3,000 in books to help supply under-funded libraries with much-needed materials.

The three grantees were chosen from hundreds of qualified applicants. Recipients of this year’s Collection Awards are the Granby Public Library (Granby, Colorado), the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, and the Bahia Street Center (which serves the town of Salvador, Brazil). The awards were presented Sunday, January 21, 2007, during the American Library Association's Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, Washington.

More and more libraries are turning to Alibris to expand book and media collections in specific areas of interest. Libraries vying to bolster their book collections via the Collection Award were asked to create wishlists of needed books through the Alibris Donate-A-Book program, and the winners were determined, in part, based on the contents of their wishlists.

The small town of Granby, Colorado, was in the news when, on June 4, 2004, an irate individual went on a devastating rampage with an armed and armored bulldozer, destroying 13 buildings. The library, although not specifically targeted, suffered extensive damages and losses to its book collection. Part of the collection damaged was the Special Collection of Colorado history. The Alibris Donate-A-Book wishlist has enabled the library to find many of the books that were lost. Also added to the wishlist are two books on genealogy and titles to help patrons learn languages.

"We are thrilled and honored to have been chosen as a recipient of the Alibris Collection Award!" said Cindy Eubank, Granby Branch Librarian. "The Granby Library operated from a temporary, modular structure from the end of the summer of 2004 until June 23, 2006, when a beautiful new Granby Library opened. Our expanded space offers us the opportunity to now not only replace materials that were lost, but also to expand and build upon our collections. This is a very exciting way to be starting the new year! Thanks so much!"

As a leading provider of sexual-assault-victim services in the Chicago metropolitan area, the YWCA will add to its lending library Alibris books that describe personal accounts of surviving sexual assault and that detail social and cultural issues. This will enable YWCA clients to see that survival is indeed possible, reinforcing that they are not alone in their struggle.

"These donations will be used to help clients who are in the midst of the healing process, and in conjunction with therapy/counseling," said Jill Wolf, YWCA therapist/counselor. "And YWCA clinicians will benefit from these donations by having access to clinical books that describe alternative processes to approaching sexual trauma survivors. Additionally, we can continue to solicit targeted donations from donors city-wide."

Finally, the Bahia Street Center breaks cycles of poverty by providing a quality education to impoverished girls living in Salvador, Brazil. With the help of Alibris, books supporting the English language program will be added to the Center's lending library, where basic academic subjects are taught (as well as health and nutrition, art, and leadership), allowing girls to move more easily from illiteracy to university.

"Many children in the world have no possibility of owning a book," says Nancy Bacon, Director of Bahia Street Center. "They have no access to learning centers that teach them to read or libraries that inspire their hearts and minds. In 2000 in Brazil, a quarter of all people age 15 and older were illiterate. Books are expensive, and education—the proven element to escape poverty—is hard to come by. With this significant donation from Alibris, Bahia Street can break the cycle of poverty by providing a quality education to impoverished girls living in Salvador, Brazil."

The Award jury was comprised of Dr. Brian Coutts, Head, Department of Library Public Services, Western Kentucky University; Toni Garvey, Director, Phoenix Public Library; Gary Pratt, Grants Administrator, Polk County (FL) Public Schools; Dr. Lynn Sutton, Library Director, Wake Forest University; Jack Walsdorf, retired bookseller and book scholar; and Dr. Richard Weatherford, Co-Founder of Alibris.

"There were so many libraries expressing so much need, choosing three was difficult. Still, we're happy to have helped three libraries select books that will directly and positively impact the lives of so many 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 years to come with our new Donate-A-Book program.” Using Donate-A-Book, libraries actively promote their wishlists to patrons, donors, alumni, and other constituents, soliciting donations of sought-after materials. “As usual, Alibris is happy to continue facilitating the match among books, booksellers, libraries, and readers," said Stuard.

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.