The Library Project Donates 225 Libraries in Three Short Years

Xi'an, China – December 30, 2009 – Books of all kinds play a critical role in a child’s development. Unfortunately, there are very few books beyond school textbooks found in most rural elementary schools that the students can read. It’s a terrible thing for a child to grow up without having access to the educational tools and resources that many of us take for granted. The Library Project, an American charity based out of Xi’an, China, is rectifying this problem one book at a time.

As of December 2009, The Library Project has established 225 rural elementary school and orphanage libraries throughout China. They've put more than 150,000 Chinese language children's books into the hands of eager young readers. Over 50,000 children now have access to improved educational infrastructure. These amazing results were accomplished with just four employees based out of Xi'an, China.

Each school received a wide range of high quality children’s books that included history, science, short stories, fairy tales, reference books and comics. They also provided a full set of children’s encyclopedias for older students and pinyin language books for the kids beginning to learn to read. The Library Project also provided colorful child-safe tables and chairs, posters and a world globe to all the classrooms and libraries.

In addition to books, furniture and paint, every elementary school Librarian received training on how to manage their new library. Since most rural elementary schools have never had a single book in their library for children to read, The Library Project’s Librarian Training Program gets them up to speed on day one.

“Libraries put children in the driver’s seat of their education,” says Tom Stader, founder of the Library Project. “Library books are different from textbooks. Kids may be inspired by the teachers in lessons and then explore their interests further in a library. With a library their imagination gets involved.”

225 Library Donations in Three Short Years

Due to the positive response of the local communities in China, The Library Project has been experiencing tremendous growth. They have just completed 225 library donations located in 19 provinces throughout China, with another 125 scheduled for completion by the end of 2010.

Map of The Library Project's Completed and Planned library donations.

"These remote elementary schools have fantastic administration, dedicated teachers, and a great bunch of students eager to learn. Most rural elementary schools lack quality children's books to spark their young mind's creativity and a love of reading. We have the means to get them books, but all we need now is the funding. We need help,” says Tom Stader.

The Library Project has collected 50,000 children's books through our National Book Collection Campaign in 55 cities throughout China. This campaign takes place at elementary schools, high schools, corporate conferences, companies and in local communities. They only accept children's books that are of the highest quality and in a "like new" condition. This not only gets the community involved, but also raises awareness of the realities of rural elementary schools and orphanages.

Donors and Volunteer Involvement

"What began as a couple of friends in December of 2006 conducting a book collection at our employeer, Aston English, to provide libraries to two Dalian based orphanages, has turned into an amazing organization that has provided improved educational infrastructure that 51,546 children benefit from everyday. We were able to accomplish so much in such a short period of time because of the generous support of our volunteers and donors," says Tom Stader.

With small amounts ranging from 5,000 yuan (US$732) to 8,000 yuan for each library, the The Library Project provides libraries in rural elementary schools and orphanges all over China with generous donations by both individuals and companies based in China. Corporate involvement has come from Cummins, Siemens, Pratt & Whitney, Prax Capital, Sanofi Aventis, Jaguar Land Rover, PFW, Grace and GlobalHort both financially and also by getting their employees involved as volunteers during library donations. Where other larger charities charge for this kind of involvement, The Library Project encourages employees to get involved at no cost.

Hundreds of volunteers are employees of Cummins Inc, a US-based manufacturer of diesel engines and related technology. Cummins is also one of The Library Project’s major donors. The company, which donated 46 libraries last year, encourages its employees across China to help The Library Project, said Julie Liu, chairwoman of Cummins’ Corporate Social Responsibility Committee. "They are very donor-oriented," Liu said of The Library Project. "They are a small NGO, so we don’t have to handle the bureaucracy involved with some of the larger NGOs."

"Our volunteers play an important role in introducing the students to their new library. Games are played, songs are sung, and of course books are read. It is a very positive experience for everyone involved; the school administration, teachers, students, and the volunteers,” says Jenny Wang, The Library Project's Country Director.

Education is change, and The Library Project is creating change in the simplest way possible, by giving children the resources to learn and grow. To succeed, they need support. If you are interested in donating or finding out about other ways of becoming involved, please visit their website at www.library-project.org or contact Tom Stader at tom@library-project.org. There is a wealth of information about each of the libraries that they have donated in China to date as well as prospects for future libraries.

About The Library Project

The Library Project donates books and libraries to under financed schools and orphanages in China. They believe education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty that exists in the developing world. As they see it, education is change. The Library Project accomplishes this by; getting the local community involved through book drives and awareness raising, providing libraries to under financed orphanages and elementary schools, and partnering with local NGOs (charities) and companies.

The Library Project has some amazing yet attainable goals: by the end of 2010 they will have donated over 350 libraries to rural elementary schools and orphanages in China. Their goal is to develop The Library Project into an organization that helps empower millions of children every year through the gift of education. This goal will take an enormous amount of dedication, planning, and hard work. They need your help.

To get involved, please check out their website at www.library-project.org.

If you have any questions, please contact Tom Stader, The Library Project's Founder.