Our Library Project
Theresa Weigel
Brookville KS USA
From: LEAVEN, Vol. 40 No. 4, August-September 2004, pp. 80-81.
The children’s television program, "Reading Rainbow,"
tells viewers that they can learn about anything in a book. LLL of Kansas,
USA wholeheartedly agrees that The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding is just
that kind of book. The voices of mother-to-mother support spring forward
from the pages of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding. To demonstrate their
belief, LLL of Kansas and their Area Council provided each public library
in the state with a copy of the 2004 edition of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding.
Area Leaders chose this project
after a brainstorming session to find a way to bring breastfeeding help
to as many women and their babies as possible. The Area Council created
several pages full of numerous ideas, both big and small. We all eventually
agreed that the "WAB Library Project," as we called it, was
promising and feasible given our resources and determination.
With vast areas of Kansas
underserved by La Leche League Groups, the value of having this book
available to everyone through each of the 386 Kansas public libraries
is limitless. The following steps were taken to make this project as
easy and successful as possible:
1. We sent each librarian
a letter that explained the donation.
2. We included in each book’s inside cover a bookplate that reads
the following:
This book was donated
by La Leche League of Kansas. Since 1961, La Leche League of Kansas
has provided support and information to mothers interested in nursing
their babies. Groups are located throughout Kansas. To learn more
about breastfeeding or to find a La Leche League Leader or Group near
you, call 1-800-515-3243 or visit www.lalecheleague.org.
3. We created a press release
for each local Leader to personalize and submit to her newspaper (see
box below for complete press release).
The Kansas Area made arrangements
to buy a total of 600 copies of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding for
the library project. In addition to donating copies to every public
library, we also donated copies to each Leader and each LLL Group Library
in Kansas. Some books were given to Groups for resale.
The "WAB Library Project"
required us to coordinate the delivery of books, purchase special envelopes,
and create and edit labels, letters, and press releases. Many hands
made light work as the Area Council team put it all together at the
opening of its biannual meeting. With the preliminary bill in from Postal
Presort ($772 US), the total cost for the "WAB Library Project"
was $5,319.52 (US), which we believe was a good investment of Kansas
La Leche League’s capital, in both human and fiscal terms.
Less than 48 hours after the books were mailed, this acknowledgement
below was received from Elizabeth Turner, Director of Oswego Public
Library, after receiving a copy of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding:
My name is Elizabeth
Turner and I am the Director of the Oswego Public Library. I wanted
to email the person responsible for sending The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding
to our Library. I have had several young mothers approach our Library
to see if we owned it and if they could check it out. My copy from
the 1980s just couldn’t hold up anymore. I would appreciate it
very much if you would forward this message to the appropriate person.
Thank you again so very much.
This came from Marilyn Wade,
the Inman, Kansas Library Director:
Thank you for the donation of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding.
It is a welcome addition to the library. Please pass our thanks to
the rest of the Council members.
Kansas Leader from Great
Bend, Robin Rziha, sent this note:
I just returned from
storytime with my son, Paul, at the Claflin Township Library. The
librarian had the WAB on her desk and was so pleased that we were
able to do this mailing for the state of Kansas libraries.
Just as the mother-to-mother
network of support through La Leche League meetings has encouraged an
untold number of women to breastfeed, our "WAB Library Project"
has the potential of influencing countless Kansas mothers, many of whom
we may never meet.
Theresa Weigel, accredited
in 1983, has held a variety of Area Council positions with La Leche
League of Kansas, USA, and is currently a new Communications Skills
Instructor. She is married to Maure and is the mother of three children:
Marie (25), Aaron (22), and Adam (16). Theresa feels fortunate to be
in the company of dedicated Kansas La Leche League Leaders who share
the enthusiasm and creativity to accomplish this outreach.
LLL
Kansas Press Release
Kansas (2004):
The newly revised THE WOMANLY ART OF BREASTFEEDING has been
donated to every public library in the state of Kansas by
La Leche League of Kansas. This classic book has been revised
for the next generation.
New to this edition
are:
- Current research
on unique aspects of human milk
- New explanations
of how the breast makes milk
- New photos and
stories
- Details about
effective positioning and latch-on
- Suggestions
for using herbs and medications to increase milk supply
- Use of nipple
shields and breast compression to assist babies with problems
- New information
on tandem nursing and breastfeeding after breast reduction
surgery
- Simplified breakdown
of components in human milk
- Lists of supportive
organizations and Web sites for parents
[Leader Name],
local La Leche League Leader, helped arrange for this donation
through the state organization. Since 1961, La Leche League
of Kansas has provided support and information to mothers
interested in nursing their babies. Besides the local organization,
Groups are located throughout Kansas. LLL of [Town] meets
[time, day of week, place].
LLLI is a nonprofit
organization that provides breastfeeding information and encouragement
through mother-to-mother support groups and interaction with
parents, physicians, researchers, and health care providers.
The organization reaches over 300,000 women monthly in 62
countries. For more information about the benefits of breastfeeding
or help in contacting a local La Leche League Group, call
[Leader Phone Number] or visit our Web site at www.lalecheleague.org.
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