The Library Project is a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

that donates

book A book is a medium for recording information in the form of writing or images, typically composed of many pages (made of papyrus, parchment, vellum, or paper) bound together and protected by a cover. The technical term for this phys ...

s and

libraries A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...

to under financed

school A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compu ...

s and

orphanage An orphanage is a residential institution, total institution or group home, devoted to the care of orphans and children who, for various reasons, cannot be cared for by their biological families. The parents may be deceased, absent, or abu ...

s in China and

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making it ...

. The Library Project was founded on the principle that

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. ...

is change and the key to breaking the

cycle of poverty In economics, a cycle of poverty or poverty trap is caused by self-reinforcing cycle, self-reinforcing mechanisms that cause poverty, once it exists, to persist unless there is outside intervention. It can persist across generations, and when appl ...

in the

developing world A developing country is a sovereign state with a lesser developed industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to other countries. However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. There is also no clear agree ...

. The Library Project gets the local community involved through book drives and awareness raising, and partnering with local charities and companies. Since 2006, The Library Project has established over 600 libraries and donated more than 350,000 local and

English language English is a West Germanic language of the Indo-European language family, with its earliest forms spoken by the inhabitants of early medieval England. It is named after the Angles, one of the ancient Germanic peoples that migrated to t ...

books to rural

elementary school A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ed ...

s and orphanages throughout China and Vietnam with another 350 planned for completion in 2012.

Programs

The Library Project has three distinct programs. All books are purchased in-country via generous individual or company donations or acquired through local community based book drives. Elementary School Program — Each elementary school receives bi-lingual

children's books A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younge ...

, tables and chairs, paint and posters. Orphanage Program — Each small orphanage receives bi-lingual children's books, tables and chairs,

paint Paint is any pigmented liquid, liquefiable, or solid mastic composition that, after application to a substrate in a thin layer, converts to a solid film. It is most commonly used to protect, color, or provide texture. Paint can be made in many ...

and

poster A poster is a large sheet that is placed either on a public space to promote something or on a wall as decoration. Typically, posters include both textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or wholly text. ...

s as well as games and floor mats. 2008 Earthquake Program — The Library Project has provided books and libraries for elementary schools and orphanages in Sichaan and

Shanxi Province Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-level ...

s as they have rebuilt as a result of the devastating 2008

earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from ...

Results

* Providing access to books to over 200,000 children * Donating over 350,000 English and local language children’s books,

encyclopedia An encyclopedia (American English) or encyclopædia (British English) is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge either general or special to a particular field or discipline. Encyclopedias are divided into articles ...

s and

reference book A reference work is a work, such as a paper, book or periodical (or their electronic equivalents), to which one can refer for information. The information is intended to be found quickly when needed. Such works are usually ''referred'' to f ...

s * Creating libraries * Establishing over 600 libraries in rural elementary schools and orphanages in 21 provinces throughout China and Vietnam

Locations

The Library Project works in some of the most remote regions of China. TLP has established libraries in 21 provinces throughout China with special focus on Sichuan, Anhui and Shaaxi provincesCelia Hatton. "Young Americans Help China Through Non-Profits." CBS Evening News video December 23, 2010. http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-18563_162-7163708.html In 2013, TLP expanded their operations within Vietnam. Some of regions and provinces The Library Project works: *Anhui Province: Fuyang, Hefei *

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

*Chongqing *Guangdong Province: Heyuan, Qingyuan *Guizhou Province: Guiyang *Hubei Province: Wuhan, Xiangfan *

Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Its border includes most of the length of China's border with the country of Mongolia. Inner Mongolia also accounts for ...

Province: Erdos, Huhhot *Jiangsu Province: Wuxi *Jilin Province: Changchun *Liaoning Province: Dalian, Dandong, Shenyang *Ningxia Province: Yinchuan *Shaanxi Province:

Xi’an Xi'an ( , ; ; Chinese: ), frequently spelled as Xian and also known by other names, is the capital of Shaanxi Province. A sub-provincial city on the Guanzhong Plain, the city is the third most populous city in Western China, after Chongqing ...

, Baoji, Ankang, Yanan, Weinan, Hanzhong, Xianyang *Shandong Province: Jinan, Linyi, Dongying *Shanghai *Shanxi Province: Taiyuan *Sichuan Province: Chengdu, Guanghan, Guangyuan *

Xinjiang Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwest ...

Province: Urmuqi *Yunnan Province: Kunming

References

External links

The Library Project Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Library Project Educational charities Child-related organizations in China Child education organizations Charities based in Arizona Library-related organizations Organizations promoting literacy Foreign charities operating in China