[Michlib-l] Michigan Libraries for Life

Tue May 12 09:24:15 EDT 2015

Please see below about the statewide campaign for organ donations.

Karren Reish
Library Grants Coordinator
Library of Michigan
517-241-0021
reishk at michigan.gov<mailto:reishk at michigan.gov>

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Please excuse any cross-postings.

You are Invited to Join 2015 Michigan Libraries for Life!

Click here<https://sites.google.com/site/michiganlibraries4life/2015-invitation> to view this invitation online.

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If you could save a life, would you?  Most people would say “Yes!” without hesitation.  One of the simplest ways to save and improve lives is by supporting organ, tissue and eye donation.

Since 2010, libraries across Michigan have participated in a simple and effective campaign to educate patrons about donation and transplantation, and to give them an opportunity to join the Michigan Organ Donor Registry<http://bit.ly/ML4Life>. The campaign is called Michigan Libraries for Life<http://www.librariesforlife.org/>. This effort, which began with the University of Michigan’s Taubman Health Sciences Library<http://www.lib.umich.edu/thl>, has expanded to include public, academic, special, and hospital libraries across the state. This collaborative effort has inspired more than 2,450 people to sign up as donors!

“We’ve received great feedback from library staff,” said Richard Pietroski, Gift of Life Michigan’s CEO. “They appreciate having an easy yet meaningful way to engage their patrons in saving and improving lives. Michigan Libraries for Life gives hope to the 3,400 Michigan patients waiting for a life-saving organ transplant.”

More than 95% of Americans<http://organdonor.gov/dtcp/nationalsurveyorgandonation.pdf> support organ, tissue and eye donation. Yet in Michigan only 50% of adults have joined the state’s donor registry.  That discrepancy is largely due to residents not knowing how to properly join the donor registry.  Michigan Libraries for Life helps to address that information need in our state.

“Someone you know probably needs - or will someday need - a lifesaving organ or tissue transplant.  People die waiting because not enough organs are available. Your library can be a great help by registering donors and providing information about organ donation,” said Anne Rau, Capital Area District Library librarian and living kidney donor. “By participating in Michigan Libraries for Life your library is helping to save lives.”

We are excited to bring this life-saving event back in 2015!  Libraries are welcome to participate for as many hours as they are able to staff a registration table in their libraries, from 1 hour to 7 days. This year’s drive will start on Monday, October 5th and run through Sunday, October 11th. Gift of Life Michigan<http://giftoflifemichigan.org/> will provide a free in-person training for library representatives at their Ann Arbor office on Friday, August 14th and a west Michigan training session, date to be determined. We are also developing training materials for those who are unable to attend the in-person sessions.

University of Michigan Shapiro Undergraduate Library

“I enjoyed taking part in this well-orchestrated event,” commented one librarian. “I hope to participate again next year.”

The key to this program's success is the participation of many libraries across the state. Your library is warmly invited to join the 2015 Michigan Libraries for Life organ donor registration drive. If your organization would like to participate in this year’s effort, please complete this registration form http://bit.ly/ML4L2015. If you would like more information, please contact us at MichLib4Life at umich.edu<mailto:MichLib4Life at umich.edu> or (734) 936-1394<tel:%28734%29%20936-1394>.

You can also find Michigan Libraries for Life on Facebook! www.facebook.com/ML4Life<http://www.facebook.com/ML4Life>

For additional information visit: http://www.librariesforlife.org<http://www.librariesforlife.org/>

The 2014-2015 Michigan Libraries for Life was generously funded with a Community Grant from the Gift of Life Foundation.

Cheers,
Kate

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Kate MacDougall Saylor MSI
Health Sciences Informationist
University of Michigan
Taubman Health Sciences Library
734.936.1394<tel:734.936.1394>
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