The Library Project is a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

that donates

book A book is a structured presentation of recorded information, primarily verbal and graphical, through a medium. Originally physical, electronic books and audiobooks are now existent. Physical books are objects that contain printed material, ...

s and

libraries A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...

to under financed

school A school is the educational institution (and, in the case of in-person learning, the Educational architecture, building) designed to provide learning environments for the teaching of students, usually under the direction of teachers. Most co ...

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 by their biological families. The parents may be deceased, absent, or abusi ...

s in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

and

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

. The Library Project was founded on the principle that

education Education is the transmission of knowledge and skills and the development of character traits. Formal education occurs within a structured institutional framework, such as public schools, following a curriculum. Non-formal education als ...

is change and the key to breaking the

cycle of poverty In economics, a cycle of poverty, poverty trap or generational poverty is when poverty seems to be inherited, preventing subsequent generations from escaping it. It is caused by self-reinforcing mechanisms that cause poverty, once it exists, to ...

in the

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

. 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 that developed in early medieval England and has since become a English as a lingua franca, global lingua franca. The namesake of the language is the Angles (tribe), Angles, one of the Germanic peoples th ...

books to rural

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

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 () is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking countries, the legal definition of ''chi ...

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

paint Paint is a material or mixture that, when applied to a solid material and allowed to dry, adds a film-like layer. As art, this is used to create an image or images known as a painting. Paint can be made in many colors and types. Most paints are ...

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 typography, textual and graphic elements, although a poster may be either wholly graphical or w ...

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

earthquake An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...

Results

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

encyclopedia An encyclopedia is a reference work or compendium providing summaries of knowledge, either general or special, in a particular field or discipline. Encyclopedias are divided into article (publishing), articles or entries that are arranged Alp ...

s and

reference book A reference work is a document, such as a Academic publishing#Scholarly paper, paper, book or periodical literature, periodical (or their electronic publishing, electronic equivalents), to which one can refer for information. The information ...

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

/ref> In 2013, TLP expanded their operations within Vietnam. Some of regions and provinces The Library Project works: *Anhui Province: Fuyang, Hefei *

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

*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 regions of China, autonomous region of China. Its border includes two-thirds of the length of China's China–Mongolia border, border with the country of Mongolia. ...

Province: Erdos, Huhhot *Jiangsu Province: Wuxi *Jilin Province: Changchun *Liaoning Province: Dalian, Dandong, Shenyang *Ningxia Province: Yinchuan *Shaanxi Province: Xi’an, Baoji, Ankang, Yanan, Weinan, Hanzhong, Xianyang *Shandong Province: Jinan, Linyi, Dongying *Shanghai *Shanxi Province: Taiyuan *Sichuan Province: Chengdu, Guanghan, Guangyuan *

Xinjiang Xinjiang,; , SASM/GNC romanization, SASM/GNC: Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Sinkiang, officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People' ...

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