How has a library changed your life?

More information on the 2006 contest
New Woman’s Day initiative asks readers to share
stories on how the library has changed their life

Woman’s Day magazine wants to learn how the library has changed lives.

The magazine announced the editorial initiative in its March 7 issue, which reached subscribers last week. In the issue, the magazine declares that “libraries are magical places” and asks readers to submit their stories in 700 words or less. Stories can be sent to [email protected] from now until May 10, 2006, when the promotion closes.Four of the submissions will be featured in an upcoming issue of Woman’s Day.

Librarians can promote the initiative in their library by downloading free promotional tools from the ALA @ your library® Web site, http://www.ala.org/ala/pio/campaign/sponsorship/wd changelives.htm Tools include a sample press release, downloadable logos, sample newsletter copy and flyer.

In the same issue, Woman’s Day highlights the two winners from last year’s editorial initiative, which asked people why they would want to research their family trees at the library. The four-page article features librarians Howard Grueneberg from the Urbana (Ill.) Free Library and Shellie Cocking from the San Francisco Public Library guiding the winners through library resources to help them discover new parts of their family history. It also includes a sidebar with tips on plotting family history from ALA member Stephen C. Young of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. Young is chair of the genealogy committee for the Reference and User Services Association’s (RUSA) history section.

The ALA partnership with Woman’s Day began in 2002 with a series of workshops for aspiring writers led by writers from the magazine. It has developed into a multi-program partnership that has resulted in approximately $4 million in library-related editorial coverage in five issues of the magazine, donated ad space and an online book club featuring ALA members.

The writing workshops will kick off again this year during National Library Week at 10 community college and public libraries throughout the country. Currently, the Woman’s Day online book club features YALSA members’ book recommendations for young adults, and beginning this summer, the book club will highlight RUSA members. The book club is available by visiting http://www.womansday.com/community.

Woman’s Day is a Founding Partner of The Campaign for America’s Libraries, the ALA’s multi-year public awareness and advocacy campaign to promote the value of libraries and librarians in the 21st century.