As of January 2010, The Library Project has established 225 elementary school libraries.  We’ve put more than 150,000 Chinese language children’s books into the hands of eager young readers.  Over 50,000 children now have access to improved educational infrastructure.  Together we are changing the world, one book at a time.

The Nexus, a Library Project student group at the Shanghai High School International Division, has just completed a their most recent fundraiser.  On New Years Eve, Japanese students from the Shanghai High School International Division held a concert in downtown Shanghai that raised 3,700 CNY for The Nexus.  They sold tickets to students (50rmb/ticket).  It was an awesome night!

To date, The Nexus have held book collections and raised funds for four libraries.  This Spring The Library Project will be donating The Nexus’ FOURTH library to a rural elementary school located in the Shaanxi Province.  A huge thank you to everyone at The Nexus for your continued support.

Below are two group photos of the group.

Nexus Group Photo

Nexus Group Photo

ABOUT THE NEXUS

The Nexus is a student organization founded by Stephany Phung and Emma Harada that was established in 2008 at the Shanghai High School International Division. The Nexus’ mission is to be an extension of The Library Project, reaching out to the people of Shanghai radiating from within the school. Their goal is to raise funds to support The Library Project’s mission.

To learn more about The Nexus, please check out their website at: http://www.library-project.org/nexus.html

Everyone at The Library Project is very excited about our newly updated Blog.  This new design brings our blog into our website.  It is much brighter, easier to get around and hopefully will be a much better experience for everyone.

We hope you enjoy it.  Have a nice day.

Kind regards,
Tom Stader
The Library Project Founder

Well, after three years of being an IRS recognized 501(c)3 charity, the IRS have FINALLY put us on their website.  This has taken well over 50 phone calls, letters submitted, letters received, and a mountain of bureaucracy.  From what I understand, it was a simple clerical error that kept our organization off of the IRS website when we filed three years ago.  To celebrate this occasion, please click here to see our wonderful page on the IRS website.  I cannot put into words how happy we are to have this complete.

Jennifer traveled all the way from Sweden with her friend Tarlan to volunteer for two weeks with The Library Project.  They both were absolutely amazing.  They helped with fundraising at our annual fundraiser in Xi’an, China…..and they also helped us donate libraries to the Sichuan Province.  We all miss them very much, but understand that they have to go back to High School (boring).  Below is a blog that they have been keeping about their experience with The Library Project.  Their expenses were sponsored by Grycksbo Paper, a Swedish paper company that has been a huge Library Project supporter this past year.  A link to their blog and also Jennifer’s most recent post has been republished below.  Thank you Jennifer and Tarlan!

Their Blog

http://paperaid.wordpress.com/

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Hi again everyone!

Finally I am finished with my own story. The first thing I can tell you is that I am in love with China; Xi’an, the peoples, the children, Baoxing, the food, almost everything. During the last week I have been watching all the pictures from our weeks in China. – I have to say that I am missing everything.

When we came back from China it was so nice to meet my dear family and friends again, but in the same time is a part of me still in China. I have got one dream since I was a little girl. I have been dreaming about to working as a volunteer. And now, just turned 18, I am back from two fantastic weeks in China from a volunteer job with a great friend. So imagine my feelings when I now am watching myself beside all the children! I wanted to be a volunteer, I was a volunteer, I am a volunteer! What a fantastic feeling!

The two weeks in China went so fast, and it is first now, three weeks after we came back as I start to realize what we have done! I will say that I remember every day and night in China, but there are some special moments that I will never forget;

When we went to the second school, just 45 minutes from Baoxing, the school had already closed, so we packed up all the books with help from only a few students and some older relatives. When we started our way back to Baoxing and our hotel, we realized that the principal/headmaster was following us all the way down to the little village down the school. She invited us for dinner, but since we were late, we said no. She continued to invite us. It may sound like a weird moment to remember but for me it meant so much. If a person became so happy and thankful for some books, then all the works regarding the project felt so worth it. For us in the western world is all these stuff a usual part of our life’s, but for these people, is the books something new. I cannot imagine how hard it must be to teach a bunch of YOUNG students without the right books, or without any books at all!

Another special memory is when we one day went to a large Tibetan school. In the same moment as we went out of the car lot of students gathered around. They started to laugh and point at us! I have never been “famous” before, haha!

All the time we spent together with Jenny and Jocelyn (The Library Project’s “Country Director” and “Library Donation Lead”) was something very important for me. I have learned a lot from them during our days together. I am so impressed about their choices to work with an important organization; they are travelling around the whole China every year to help children!  They told us a lot of interesting facts about China, the people and the culture, they were also two really funny and kind girls, which made my whole trip in China easier.

All the time we spent with the young students makes me so happy. To see their smiles when we came and when all of them were carrying the books was great! It is in moments like that I realized how lucky I am in my own life; and how easy it is to give other people happiness!

I have now been home for three weeks, but one day won´t pass without me thinking about China. I have grown a lot during these weeks. To know that I am able to travel to the other side of the world with one friend, it feels great. I have been visiting villages and counties where people are living and studying in poor places. I have been traveling on roads that we in Sweden never would be using.  I have actually helped so many children during my weeks, together with Tarlan and the team I have helped the children to a better future. I have also been lucky to meet such amazing peoples! Tom, Jenny, Jocelyn, Nicole and Belinda at the Library-Project, Jenny at Grycksbo Paper and people like Lisa and Ivy in Xi’an!

These are my experiences from my weeks in China. You will hear from me again!

Love, Jenn