UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND TO DONATE BOOKS TO SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOLS
Press Release
POP/651
UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND TO DONATE BOOKS TO SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOLS
19970813 NEW YORK, 13 August (UNFPA) -- The Cafda preschool in South Africa had no library, only a mobile book van that came once a week. However, since receiving donations of books arranged through the South African International Book Drive, plans are under way for the preschool to start its own library. Now, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is about to join the effort to donate books to schools and libraries in South Africa with a shipment of 30 boxes of materials specifically selected to serve the country's needs."By donating books to the South African Book Drive, the UNFPA Library is extending its reach to a totally new circle of clients: grass-roots readers at many levels in an important developing country", said David P. Rose, head of the UNFPA Library. "Our modest effort directly advances a main mission of the Fund: meeting human needs and ensuring well-being -- in this case by increasing access to needed information in the educational context."
Among the books which UNFPA will donate are comprehensive reference works on countries of the world, such as the Europa Year Book and the Statesman's Yearbook, which contain descriptions of all sectors, including history, geography, politics, society and the economy. Worldwide directories of associations and organizations, such as the Yearbook of International Organizations and Gale's Encyclopedia of Associations, will also be sent.
Other materials include standard bibliographical directories of the book and periodicals press, like the Subject Guide to Books in Print and Ulrich's Periodicals Directory, as well as the World Almanac and other general reference books.
In keeping with its mandate to promote understanding of population and development issues, UNFPA will also be shipping copies of specialized books on health and population issues, including the Fund's own materials and those produced by other United Nations agencies and by the United Nations Population Division.
The South African International Book Drive has sent more than 600,000 books to South Africa. Over 300 South African schools and libraries are currently receiving books and educational materials from the organization, which hopes to ship more than 1 million books to South Africa by the year 2000.
- 2 - Press Release POP/651 13 August 1997
The organization's founder, Julius Wayne Dudley, Professor of History at Salem State College in Massachusetts, will be present when the books are donated at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, 14 August, at the UNFPA Library. The Library is located on the 17th floor of the Daily News Building, 220 East 42nd Street, between Second and Third Avenues, New York, NY. The event is open to members of the press, who should ring extension 5068 upon arrival at the 17th floor.
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