National Landscape Architecture Week Project 24 ASLA Chapters Donate Books to Libraries In the last installment of Shelf Life, I recounted two stories. An anecdote about John Reynolds, FASLA, made the point that high school is an appropriate time of life to learn about landscape architecture as a career. An example of an inspired, well-targeted, annual philanthropy project was provided by Dale Jaeger, ASLA, who honors her firm's clients by donating books to public libraries in their names. Together, these stories suggested to me a fun, easy, and constructive project for the Landscape Architecture Bookstore to undertake with ASLA chapters in observance of National Landscape Architecture Week. National Landscape Architecture Week 2003 ended April 27. Together, ASLA and 24 chapters distributed books and videotapes to 63 high school and public libraries. Several weeks of email exchanges between chapters and the Bookstore have finally abated, but my computer is still smoking. Here are a few excerpts: "Thanks for offering this program. I think it is a great idea!!" Stephen Ibendahl, ASLA St. Louis Chapter President "We on the Nor Cal ExComm applaud this effort!!!!! Great simple, effective, positive idea." Mike Scheele, ASLA President, ASLA/NCC "Our (Salt Lake City's) new library, designed by Moshe Safdie with the landscape architecture by Civitas, opened in February. The public response to the new building has been overwhelming--the library reports that the shelves are bare! We are going to donate the books and (Landscape Architecture) magazine at an event to celebrate the new landscape--either an unveiling of the fountains or at a special speaking event with the landscape architects. This ASLA offer is very well-timed and helped us think of this idea to celebrate National Landscape Architecture Week--Thanks!!!" Sharen Hauri, ASLA President-elect, Utah Chapter "Thank you for this kind offer. It's a great idea!" Cynthia Smith, ASLA Principal, Halvorson Design Partnership ASLA's midyear meeting in Washington, D.C., followed National Landscape Architecture Week. A reception for the Executive Committee, the Board of Trustees, and the Chapter Presidents Council at ASLA headquarters provided the opportunity to see members whose faces are familiar from earlier meetings and to make the acquaintance of new leaders in the Society. This year, many of these new leaders were the same chapter contacts with whom I had been exchanging email about the books for libraries program. During the reception, Chris Della Vedova, ASLA, confirmed the Iowa chapter's intention to expand on the idea of books for libraries, and to investigate how the chapter might partially underwrite the cost of books for individual members to place in their local libraries throughout the state. Members of another chapter want to start donating selected books to the libraries of schools where they make career-day presentations. Several other chapters are considering similar programs. Clearly, ASLA members are eager to share this rewarding profession with the next generation. I want to remind all who participated or who want to undertake a similar project--placing a modest presentation label inside the books with a reference to www.asla.org and the local chapter will help students find the profession and learn to distinguish it from related endeavors. These books provide a foot in the door to an adolescent's ever-mutating awareness; take full advantage of the opportunity! One aspect of the program I wish we could have altered: Trackable shipping to Hawaii is so expensive that we couldn't offer that chapter additional sets for the initial $35 fee. They wanted to place a set in one library on each of the islands. It was an excellent impulse cut short by economics. Do we intend to do it again next year? It's too soon to tell. And it may take years to learn which aspiring landscape architects, if any, took initial steps into the field while reading at a table in their local library. I look forward to finding out. John Rogers, LAND Online contributing editor, manages the ASLA Bookstore. Access the ASLA Bookstore Catalog online (pdf).

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