The Library Project

Making a Difference, One Book at a Time

On a raining Xi’an afternoon a cool damp breeze blows through the open windows of the Library Project’s 16th floor office. Over looking the south side of the wall the view is arguably one of the best in the city. But it is what goes on inside the office walls, away from the windows, that is the true treasure.

The name, The Library Project, opens up a brief glimpse into this charity’s purpose, simply donating books and libraries to under funded schools and orphanages throughout the developing world. That is all that is needed to be said to understand what this company strives to do, but it is the wheres, the whys and the hows that really help step this organization out in front of others.

When asked what you would do with $500 most people wouldn’t think too big. Buy an iphone, take a mini-vacation, or treat yourself to a really nice dinner, but when Tom Stader looked at his $500 he saw an opportunity to give, an opportunity to change lives, he saw something beyond the color of money.

The original idea for The LP came from a philanthropic project that Tom and friends came up with when working in the marketing department of Aston English. Asking people to donate money for books had a very successful first time run, and it didn’t really stop. People kept hearing about the project and donating money to a paypal account that had been set up for the cause. It was then that Tom realized that there might indeed be something to this, he also realized that he needed to make sure these donated funds made their way to libraries in need.

It wasn’t always as cut and dry as give me your money and a child gets a book, there were some financial struggles along the way, as is the case with most charities. A non-profit company like The LP will have to find a way to stay afloat while making sure that the money donated is allocated efficiently and effectively. Overhead costs are kept low to make sure that the primary percentage of income is going directly out the door in the form of bookshelves and books.

But stay afloat they have, having grown from a tiny one project idea to the massive giving network that it is today. There is no end in sight, there are always places to go and children in need and that is what motivates this team to find more alleyways of opportunity, what motivates them to make a difference “One Book at a Time.”

The whole operation has been successfully growing in the last few years since its 2006 Xi’an inception. With an office donated from Aston English, The LP set up shop and hit the ground running. Since that day they have donated over 250 libraries in 19 provinces throughout China. One outstanding characteristic of this company that adds to its success is the preparation and follow through that goes into each and every library.

The contents donated to these rural schools, orphanages and communities are far more than book laden bookshelves. This company goes beyond the books, they go with the books into the classrooms and offer the teachers support. You can give a child a book but teaching that child to appreciate that book is just as valuable. Books are tools for education and giving a teacher a tool but not explaining how to use the tool to the best of its ability would be a waste of time and effort. That is why The LP goes a step further.
The Library Project conducts a comprehensive Librarian Training Course for the teachers and administration of every rural elementary school and orphanage. This course goes over how to check books in and out to students, how to use the children's books in a classroom setting and how to get the students involved in the maintenance of their library.
There are 50,000 children of China who benefit, on a daily basis, from the hundreds of libraries and the 150,000 plus donated Chinese language books and that is a direct result of the hard work and dedication of the four member Xian team Jenny Wang, Country Director; Belinda Yu, Logistics & Purchasing Manager; Nichole He, Project Manager; Jocelyn Jia, Volunteer Coordinator.
However it is the donors and the volunteers that keep the company able to brighten the lives of these children. Whether it is a contributing company or an individual donor each effort of giving is greeted with graciousness and a vow, a promise that every donation no matter how small will go directly to this admirable cause.
As for volunteers it is best said by County Director Jenny Wang, "Our volunteers play an important role in introducing the students to their new library. Games are played, songs are sung, and of course books are read. It is a very positive experience for everyone involved.”
This is a charity that speaks to the heart of a society; it seeks to build a stronger future by inspiring the imaginations of children today. Mark Twain once said if you want your children to be intelligent read them fairytales, if you want them to be more intelligent read them more fairytales. His meaning is simple and it is one that is similarly grasped by Tom Stader and The Library Project team.
“Libraries put children in the driver’s seat of their education,” says Stader “Library books are different from textbooks. Kids may be inspired by the teachers in lessons and then explore their interests further in a library. With a library their imagination gets involved.”

Education is change, and The Library Project is creating change in the simplest way possible, by giving children the resources to learn and grow. To succeed, they need support. If you are interested in donating or finding out about other ways of becoming involved, please visit their Web site at www.library-project.org or contact Tom Stader at tom@library-project.org. The Web site contains a wealth of information about each of the libraries donated in China to date as well as prospects for future libraries.