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MPs DONATE CHILDREN’S BOOKS TO THEIR LOCAL LIBRARIES

Commons reception on December 11 to celebrate children’s literature

List of MPs, books and libraries

Over 60 MPs from all political parties will be giving a book to their local library this afternoon, to celebrate children’s literature and the role that libraries play in introducing children and young people to the joys of reading.

Hosted by the Commons All-Party Group on Libraries, which is chaired by the MP for Ilford North, Linda Perham, this Library Association reception will take place in the Commons Terrace Marquee, with MPs presenting their chosen books to local children’s librarians from around the country.

Baroness Blackstone, Minister for the Arts, will address the guests at 4.30pm. In recognition of Science Year, Estelle Morris, who is MP for Yardley, will be donating a copy of the Science Museum/Dorling Kindersley book Inventing the Modern World to her local library in Birmingham.

“Children’s libraries in the United Kingdom offer young people varied and rich opportunities to discover the excitement and fun of reading,” says the Library Association’s Chief Executive Bob McKee. "Through projects as varied as bookstart; homework help clubs, teenage reading groups and the National Summer Reading Challenge, libraries create patterns of reading, which will be sustained for a lifetime."

Other books MPs are giving include are Oscar Wilde's The Selfish Giant (given by Hornchurch MP John Cryer), a collection of Indian tales by local author Jamila Gavin (from Stroud MP David Drew), a "mathematical adventure" by Magnus Enzenberger called The Number Devil  (from John Battle, Leeds) as well as classics like The Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss (Eleanor Laing, Loughton ).

Donating J K Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone to her local library at Woodrow, MP Jacqui Smith says "I know that they are short of Harry Potter books because they are so popular. In this technological age it is good that books can be in such demand."

For further information contact:

Louisa Myatt, Marketing Executive,The Library Association
Tel: 020 2755 0650; Fax: 020 7255 0651           
E-mail: louisa.myatt@la-hq.org.uk

Notes to Editors

The Library Association is the leading professional body for librarians and information managers, with around 24,000 members who work in all sectors, including business and industry, further and higher education, schools, local and central government departments and agencies, the health service, the voluntary sector, national and public libraries.  The Library participates regularly in national campaigns, and is currently preparing resource material for libraries to use in Science Year, which runs to August 2002.

Next April, the Library Association will unify with the Institute of Information Scientists to form a new body, CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals.

List of MPs, books and libraries

Tuesday 11 December