* Announcement: ALA joins with HoF for reading program

American Library Association, Baseball Hall of Fame kick off “Step Up to the Plate @ your library®”

National program teams up baseball and libraries to promote literacy skills

The American Library Association and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum today officially launch the third season of the Step Up to the Plate @ your library

This national program encourages baseball fans of all ages to test their knowledge of baseball trivia while improving their literacy skills.

Ozzie Smith, education ambassador for the Hall of Fame and Hall of Fame shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres, helped Step Up to the Plate as its spokesperson.

At a morning library event at the Baker High School library, Smith led a group of students through a series of baseball trivia questions developed by librarians at the Hall of Fame. Later in the evening on April 4, Smith and Hall of Fame and local library representatives will be recognized on field during a pre-game ceremony at Hank Aaron Stadium before a game of the local minor league Mobile Bay Bears.

“America’s libraries provide everyone an opportunity to learn, dream and explore,” said Smith. “While I consider it a great honor to be a member of Baseball’s Hall of Fame, helping children reach their full potential through education is the most important way I can be a part of baseball today. The Baseball Hall of Fame and the American Library Association are making it possible for everyone to learn more about history through this entertaining initiative.”

Step Up to the Plate teams up two American classics – baseball and libraries – to promote the importance of information literacy skills and increase awareness of the library as an essential information resource.

Season three of the program is a whole new “ball game,” celebrating the 100th anniversary of the song “Take Me Out to the Ball Game.” People of all ages are encouraged to use the print and electronic resources available at their library to answer a series of trivia questions designed for their age group (10 and under, 11-13, 14-17 and 18 and over) and inspired by the iconic song. Categories of questions include ballparks, baseball in popular culture, fan experience and baseball pioneers. Questions are available in both English and Spanish.

One grand-prize winner will win a trip for two in October to the Hall of Fame’s World Series Gala event in Cooperstown, NY, including a behind-the-scenes tour of the Museum.

The grand-prize winner also will receive an Ozzie Smith autographed baseball. Twenty first-place prize packages will be awarded as well, including a commemorative hardbound copy of the Hall of Fame Yearbook, Hall of Fame t-shirt, commemorative set of 20 Hall of Fame baseball cards and more.

“To be successful in today’s information society, it’s not enough just to be able to read,” says Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels. “People need to be able to find the information they are looking for – whether it’s in print or online — and understand the source of information. That’s where libraries and librarians come into play.”

Players are invited to visit their library or check out www.ala.org/baseball to download the trivia questions. Players can also submit answers online.

Step Up to the Plate @ your library continues the outreach of our educational mission, while instilling the lessons of our game’s great history,” adds Jeff Idelson, acting president, National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. “By fostering an environment for fans of all ages to participate in their own communities, the American Library Association and the Baseball Hall of Fame are working together to promote a fun approach to learning.”

The American Library Association, the “voice of America’s libraries,” is the largest library association in the world. The ALA has 66,000 members who are primarily librarians, but also trustees, publishers and others who support the work of the association. The mission of the ALA is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.