NEWS For Immediate Release March 12, 2013

Contact: Megan McFarlane

CHICAGO – For the seventh year in a row, the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) will celebrate South African Library Week (March 16-23), using the @ your library brand. This year’s theme will be Educate Yourself @ your library.

The theme Educate Yourself @ your library was selected to celebrate the role all types of libraries play in education and self-development. The theme also celebrates the informal role libraries have always played in the education of their communities as the “people’s university.” In this role, the theme Educate Yourself @ your library promotes the library as a place for lifelong learning, as well as the fact that any person, young or old, rich or poor, employed or unemployed, can walk into a library and find information in both electronic and traditional formats to educate and enrich themselves for free.

LIASA's selection of the theme was also strategic, as the Educate Yourself @ your library provides the association with an effective message for community leaders and decision makers about the role that libraries play in educating communities and the nation at large.

Since joining the Campaign for the World’s Libraries in 2007, South Africa has promoted South Africa Library Week with themes like From local, to global @ your library (2008) and the dual campaigns Race for knowledge @ your library, The race for knowledge continues…@ your library (2009), Score @ your library (2010) Read in your language @ your library” (2011) and Develop @ your library (2012).

The Campaign for the World’s Libraries was developed by the American Library Association (ALA) and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and is designed to showcase the unique and vital roles played by public, school, academic and special libraries worldwide.

Since 2001, 38 countries have joined the campaign, and the @ your library brand has been translated into each countries language. The @ your library brand is currently available in more than 30 languages. The logos are available for download in each of the partner countries’ flag colors.

The Campaign for the World’s Libraries is a partner in the Campaign for America’s Libraries (www.ala.org/@yourlibrary), ALA’s public awareness campaign that promotes the value of libraries and librarians. Thousands of libraries of all types – across the country and around the globe - use the Campaign’s @ your library® brand. The Campaign is made possible in part by ALA’s Library Champions.

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