Partnership with CODE Canada
For nearly a decade, APLA has partnered with CODE Canada to raise money for literacy. CODE, the Canadian Organization for Development through Education, has been supporting literacy since 1959, and is a registered charity that guarantees that 94% of your donation goes directly to their programs. APLA has been actively raising money for CODE since 2006.
Burt Award for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Literature
In 2015, the Standing Committee chose the Burt Award for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Literature as our new fund raising project. The award recognizes excellence in First Nations, Métis and Inuit literature for youth and provides engaging and culturally-relevant books for young people across Canada. Your donations will put books by indigenous Canadian authors in First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities in Atlantic Canada. APLA’s goal is also to sponsor an indigenous author visit to a community in our region.
At the 2019 APLA Annual Conference in St. John’s, Newfoundland, we raised $2088.60 for CODE. Thank you for your generous support to this worthy initiative!
How to Donate
You can donate online on the CODE website and receive an electronic tax receipt sent to the email you provide.
Other Ways to Help
We are encouraging all libraries in Atlantic Canada to undertake a fundraising activity! Here are a few simple ideas for fundraising from previous Grow a Library Committee members:
“When I saw the name ‘Grow A Library Fund Committee’ my first thought was plants. A public library I worked in previously in BC had a fundraiser that sold seeds. Gardeners loved it and it was successful. Vesey’s (from PEI) offers something similar.” https://www.veseys.com/ca/fundraising
Samantha Neukomm, Atlantic Provinces Special Education Authority (Halifax)
“What about plain old donation jars/boxes that libraries could have out on their counters or in staff rooms? … Libraries could create a book display about different cultures and set out the box for donations.”
Robin Isley, New Brunswick Public Library Service
“Bouquet of flowers – ask for a donation of a bouquet from a local florist, then have your fellow employees buy tickets for a chance to win it or have a silent auction. Plant sale – ask people to donate small plants or cuttings from plants and sell them. Spare Change Jar at your desk or in the Staff room – email your coworkers and ask for donations. Put the jar next to the coffee machine…I always pitch it to my bibliophile friends to make a donation as a gift for birthdays, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, end-of-year Teacher Appreciation, … etc.”
Lorraine Jackson, Memorial University
“I am planning to hold a mini book sale here at UNB as our contribution to the fundraising, say a truck or two of books with the sale lasting a week or so. I’m hoping that’s an idea that some may pick up as easy to do and quick to turnaround.”
Jocelyne Thompson, University of New Brunswick
Previous Projects
Alicho Wuriro Reading Room
2012-2013
Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region Ethiopia
The Alicho Wuriro reading room is in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples’ Region of Ethiopia. It is located in an old house made of concrete that was donated by the local community. This reading room will provide students, teachers and other members of the local community with access to a wide variety of high quality books and other reading materials in both English and local languages. CODE’s local partner, CODE-Ethiopia will provide support for the purchase of local language and English books, librarian and management committee training, as well as the purchase of furniture, book shelves, tables, chairs, and workshop materials.
Wondo Genet Reading Room
2011-2012
Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region Ethiopia
Wondo Genet Reading Room is the only library in the farming community of 15,000 in Ethiopia’s southern province. It serves three primary schools. With Atlantic Provinces Library Association’s support, this library is improving access to information by building their collection of local language and English reading materials, providing professional support for teachers using the library, and helping train local people in library management skills. CODE works with local organizations throughout the developing world to empower children to learn. They deliver an essential, sustainable development solution that endures. CODE programs support libraries and teacher training as well as national and local book publishing in more than 17 languages in Africa and the Caribbean.If you can read and write, you can learn to do, and be, anything.
Abdoulaye Maiga School and Community Library
2010-2011
Tabakoro, MaliThe
Abdoulaye Maiga School and Community Library is located in Tabakoro, a rural community in Koumantou commune within the administrative circle of Bougouni (Sikasso region). The library is a partnership between five villages in the region, the Centre d’animation pédagogique (CAP or Pedagogical Support Center), the National Investment Agency of Territorial Authorities (ANICT) and ALED (CODE’s partner in Mali). The library was founded in 1994 and named after the late Abdoulye Maiga, former Director of the Centre d’animation pédagogique. The library provides services to the school, which has 667 students, and to the community.
Solomon Mahlangu School Library
2009-2010
Tanzania, Morogoro
The Solomon Mahlangu School library is located in the Morogoro Region of Tanzania. 38 teachers teach the school’s 1115 students. This school library is being supported with furniture as well as local language and English reading materials and professional support for teachers using the library to teach reading. CODE works with local organizations throughout the developing world to empower children to learn. They deliver an essential, sustainable development solution that endures. CODE programs support libraries and teacher training as well as national and local book publishing in more than 17 languages in Africa and the Caribbean. “If you can read and write, you can learn to do, and be, anything.”
Mojo Reading Room
2008-2009
Harare, Ethiopia
The Mojo reading room is a small library, located in the Harare Region in eastern Ethiopia. It is the only library in the town. The library has been so busy that the community has provided a new, larger, building to house it. When you adopt this library, you can help the community to refurbish their new space, build their collection of local language (Oromiffa) and English reading materials, provide professional support for teachers using the library, and help train local people in library management skills.
Sebetta Reading Room
2006-2007
Seka, Ethiopia
Sebeta is in a semi-urban area just outside of Addis Ababa. The Reading Room first started as a converted one-room house, donated by the town’s mayor in 1988. CODE provided books and trained four librarians and five management committee members. With improved resources and services students from Sebeta and also the surrounding area flocked to the Reading Room. It was so successful that a second larger one was built by the community to accommodate the demand for access to resources, and community members are now working to erect a third library building. In addition, the local government has now included ongoing funding in their municipal budget. This is the definition of sustainability and success in development.