FOLUSA and Paula Poundstone Form National Partnership To Raise Awareness About Library Friends

Emmy-award winning comedian Paula Poundstone has been named national spokesperson for Friends of Libraries U.S.A. (FOLUSA), a national organization which provides resources, services, and networking opportunities for Friends, Trustees, and library Foundations across the country to increase and enhance their efforts on behalf of libraries of all types. The "Wait, Wait…Don't Tell Me!" panelist, mother of three, and author of There's Nothing in This Book That I Meant to Say (Harmony Books, a division of Random House, with foreword by Mary Tyler Moore) will lend her name, voice, and humor to help Friends groups around the country promote themselves and their libraries.

"There I was in another unbalanced relationship," begins Emmy-award winning comedian Paula Poundstone in a new public service announcement, which can be see below and online at YouTube along with a 15 second version. Permission is granted for Friends of the Library groups to imbed these videos on their websites to promote the Friends to their local communities.

"We're thrilled that Paula Poundstone is using her celebrity status to help highlight and support Friends of the Library groups," said Sally Reed, Executive Director of FOLUSA. "These volunteer citizen organizations work hard throughout the year to raise money for and public awareness about their libraries. Libraries would be immeasurably poorer without them."

"It's funny that we think of libraries as quiet demure places where we are shushed by dusty, bun-balancing, bespectacled women," said Poundstone. "The truth is libraries are raucous clubhouses for free speech, controversy and community. Librarians have stood up to the Patriot Act, sat down with noisy toddlers and reached out to illiterate adults. Libraries can never be shushed."

To help local Friends groups promote themselves and the library, FOLUSA will make available free downloadable publicity materials that incorporate Poundstone's quote, "If you haven't been to your library lately, you're overdue." Included will be a reproducible flyer and bookmark. Groups may also purchase copies of the public service announcements at cost for use in their communities. Friends groups can use these materials to promote their library and the Friends Groups on an ongoing basis.

Poundstone is further supporting libraries on a local level by partnering with promoters and the local Friends organization in cities where she performs. The local Friends group will receive tickets for use in fundraising or promotion as well as a portion of the book sales after the performance where Poundstone will make herself available for signing. There will be a display table at each location especially for Friends to promote their group and gain new members. An announcement will be made prior to each performance noting the partnership with the Friends and encouraging audience members to visit the Friends table.

Among her many accolades, Poundstone is an EMMY Award winner. She was the first woman to be invited to perform at the White House Correspondents Dinner, and the first woman to win a Cable ACE for best standup comedy special. She's also won an ACE for Program Interviewer and an American Comedy Award for Best Female Standup. Other appearances include: Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion, Real Time with Bill Maher, Late Night with David Letterman, and several specials on HBO. The paperback edition of her first book, There's Nothing in This Book That I Meant to Say (Harmony Books, a division of Random House, with foreword by Mary Tyler Moore), was recently released.

FOLUSA is a national organization with approximately 3,500 Friends group, Trustee, Foundation and individual members representing hundreds of thousands of library supporters. For more than 25 years FOLUSA has offered training, support, and idea sharing for library supporters around the country.

To request an interview with Poundstone or additional press materials, please contact Debbie Keller at 480-839-9474 or DKellerPublicity@aol.com. For more information about FOLUSA, please contact Beth Nawalinski at 215-790-1674 or bethn@folusa.org.