Adopt a Library

Beautiful libraries

The Library Project donates libraries to improve children’s literacy. Children gain access to a beautiful
school library providing fun and interesting children’s books that spark their imaginations and promote a
lifelong love of reading. Having fun educational books easily available helps to encourage independent
learning, intellectual curiosity, and a lifelong passion for reading.

All of our library donations have a teacher training component. This course covers how to properly loan
books to students, how to use the children’s books in a classroom setting, and how to get the students
involved in the maintenance of their library.

Donor volunteer involvement

At The Library Project we are very proud of all our donor volunteers. Simply put, we could not do what
we do without their support. Volunteerism at The Library Project is real work. We encourage you to
attend your library donation. You will leave a library donation tired, happy and feeling as if they made a
positive impact in the lives of children attending a rural primary school.

Local language children’s books

We provide a wide range of local language children’s books including history, science, short stories, fairy
tales, books for very young readers, children’s dictionaries, children’s reference books, and an
assortment of comic books. Each school also receives a full set of children’s encyclopedias for older
students. Every book is in full color and of the highest print quality. To acquire our books, we work with
various large bookstores’ regional warehouses, online book distributors, and also resellers.

Teacher training

The Library Project provides a quality teacher training course. Our teacher training course is created
specifically for teachers and administrators on how to manage their library. This course covers how to
properly care for their library, how to use the books in a classroom setting, and how to get the teaching
staff involved in the maintenance of their library.

Why is this important?

Teacher are important. We have found that this training course results in 94% of our libraries being
effectively used on a daily-to-weekly basis after the first year. These are the kinds of results that
everyone at The Library Project is so proud of and keeps us moving toward our goals every day. The
Library Project conducts an annual 3-year Monitoring & Evaluation and when schools need support it
receives additional training.
2017 is the International Year of Sustainable Tourism
for Development
PR No.:
PR 16111
29 Dec 16

12 months to celebrate and promote the contribution of the tourism sector to building a better world. This
is the major goal of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017 that will start in
few days.

The United Nations General Assembly declared 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for
Development recalling the potential of tourism to advance the universal 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The International Year aims to support a change in policies, business practices and consumer behavior
towards a more sustainable tourism sector than can contribute effectively to the SDGs.

"This is a unique opportunity to build a more responsible and committed tourism sector that can capitalize
its immense potential in terms of economic prosperity, social inclusion, peace and understanding, cultural
and environmental preservation” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.

Accounting for 7% of worldwide exports, one in eleven jobs and 10% of the world’s GDP, the tourism
sector if well managed can foster inclusive economic growth, social inclusiveness and the protection of
cultural and natural assets.

The International Year will promote tourism’s role in the following five key areas:

(1) Inclusive and sustainable economic growth;

(2) Social inclusiveness, employment and poverty reduction;

(3) Resource efficiency, environmental protection and climate change;

(4) Cultural values, diversity and heritage; and

(5) Mutual understanding, peace and security.

The presentation of the International Year will take place in Madrid on 18 January 2017 on the occasion
of the Spanish Tourism Fair, FITUR.

UNWTO invites all partners to join the celebrations by sharing their activities and initiatives to advance
sustainable tourism for development at www.tourism4development2017.org
 International Year for Sustainable Tourism for Development
In the context of the universal 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs), the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017 aims to support a change in policies,
business practices and consumer behaviour towards a more sustainable tourism sector and contribute to the SDGs.
The International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development will promote tourism's role in the following five key
areas:
1. Inclusive and sustainable economic growth
2. Social Inclusiveness, employment and poverty reduction
3. Resource efficiency, environmental protection and climate change
4. Cultural values, diversity and heritage
5. Mutual understanding, peace and security

The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), the United Nations Specialized Agency for Tourism, has
been mandated to facilitate the organization and implementation of the International Year, in collaboration
with governments, relevant organizations of the United Nations system, international and regional
organizations and other relevant stakeholders.
To learn more about the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017 and its
activities throughout the year, please click here

The Closing Ceremony of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development 2017 will be
held in Geneva in December 2017.

The United Nations has designated 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable
Tourism for Development.

The year kicked off at the International Tourism Fair in Spain (FITUR) yesterday, which
was opened by the King and Queen of Spain, Don Felipe VI and Doña Letizia.

This year is an opportunity to look at how tourism is affected by climate change and
how emissions from the sector can be curbed, along with finding ways for the industry
to better adapt to the inevitable impacts of rising global average temperatures.

More than one billion international tourists meanwhile travel the world each year, which
means that tourism provides millions of jobs and is crucial for national and local
economies, not least in the developing world.

More than many other industries, tourism relies on a stable climate, and is already
being impacted by increased incidents of storms and heatwaves, desertification, fresh
water loss, rising sea levels that threaten coastal resorts, and diminished snowfall in
alpine skiing areas.

The UN's World Tourism Organization estimates that tourism is responsible of about 5%
of global CO2 emissions. Accommodation accounts for approximately 20% of emissions
from tourism. This involves heating, air-conditioning and the maintenance of bars,
restaurants and pools.
The transport sector, including air, car and rail, generates the largest proportion, with
75% of all emissions. Part of the emissions from transport can be avoided by choosing
the most sustainable form of transport at least for inland travel, which is rail.

Tourist and business travelers, along with companies and organizations, can offset the
carbon footprint of their trips by plane or car by purchasing UN-certified offsets
provided through the UN's Climate Neutral Now Initiative.

Climate Neutral Now is also active in helping entire sub-sectors of the tourism transport
industry, such as airports, measure, reduce and offset and their emissions.

International Tourism Fair in Madrid

The ongoing International Tourism Fair in Madrid (FITUR, 18-22) has a focus on
sustainable tourism and comprises a number of events organized by the World Tourism
Organization.

More than 20 ministers of tourism from Africa are debating the opportunities that the
sector can bring to the continent.

The potential of tourism in the MENA region (the Middle East and North Africa) and how
to strengthen the climate resilience of tourism in the region are also being discussed at
the fair by ministers.