:pats fandom on back

[heidi]

From The Leaky Cauldron, overnight:

Auction Money from TLC Readers to Buy Over 11,000 Books!

Hi all - we've just received word from Book Aid International - fantastic word - that the $23,000 donation you all made happen is going to provide 11,000 books for readers in the developing world. Please take this moment to pat yourselves heartily on the back. We have authorized the use of the money for readers in Kenya and Eritrea - Book Aid will be putting more information on their site shortly (so will we - like a full donor list, I promise) but here is information about the areas to which the money will be headed, to tide you over:

Kenya - This is a relatively stable country but still faces high levels of poverty and recent years have seen a decline in levels of school education that we're keen to help reverse. Our main partner in Kenya is the Kenya National Library Service. They take Book Aid International and distribute them so that they reach lots of different people throughout the country. They have branch libraries and community libraries, and run special services such as HIV/AIDS information provision. Schools benefit from their mobile library services, including a motorbike book box scheme, and can also apply to KNLS for books to stock their school libraries. They also run a camel mobile library service to get books out to the nomadic population living in the semi-desert province of Garissa!
Eritrea - Eritrea is a really poor country that has suffered a lot because of war in recent years and as a consequence the education system is in a state of disarray. The books for Eritrea will go to school libraries throughout the country.

Eleven thousand. Our $23,000 translated to 14,200 pounds - and that's a FIRST donation. After tax season we will donate the remainder to Book Aid with a promise of more to come in the future. Eleven thousand books. I can't stop saying it. Say it out loud, right now: eleven thousand books. Just...wow, guys. Wow. Thank you. Stay tuned.

Now, me:
I am so proud of the fandom right now - I am in awe of everything we can do when we work together. We are a wonderful collection of people, aren't we?

Comments

[dinahrae.livejournal.com]

That's so great! I especially apperciate that we actually see what the money is doing and how it is helping people.

[marysiak.livejournal.com]

My day sucks too much to be happy about this.

[priscellie.livejournal.com]

::applauds:: Hurrah for the fandom!

[tobymalfoy.livejournal.com]

Yay! We rock so hard! :)

[heart-of-wine.livejournal.com]

We are a wonderful collection of people, aren't we?

We are, Heidi. *squees*

Elia

[zhonnika.livejournal.com]

Whoa... that nearly made me tear up, honestly. That's unbelievable on one hand, and when I look around... it's really not! We are truly amazing when we work together :)

[darkrosetiger.livejournal.com]

I was thinking about this today, and wondering if you know what percentage of the people who contributed were adult fans. I ask because the C&D that was sent to RS seems based on the premise that the primary audience for Harry Potter are children. While the majority of the readers may, in fact, be kids, I think that it's amazingly stupid of Warner Bros. to ignore the adult demographic, especially since we're the ones with the disposable incomes to feed our fannishness. I've noticed this before now: the movies were clearly aimed at kids, and all of the merchandising is aimed at them--it's almost impossible to find official T-shirts and such in adult sizes anymore. It might be worth it for the adult fans to write to WB and gently remind them that we're here, and we spend money. Thoughts?

[hermorrine.livejournal.com]

Can we tell the Powers That Be to put this in their pipe and smoke it?! I really am proud of being a part of this. We *can* do good.

[rhiannon333.livejournal.com]

*applauds fandom and also TLC people who initiated this*

It is indeed an impressive and heart-warming effort. Congratulations to all involved.