Join the Gallaudet University 150th anniversary celebrations through book donation program

On December 3, 2012, President Hurwitz donated a book collection to the MLK Jr. Library in Washington, D.C. on behalf of an anonymous donor.

As part of the celebration of Gallaudet University’s Sesquicentennial Anniversary, which kicked off in September 2013 and runs through November 2014, the university has assembled a library bookshelf featuring Gallaudet University Press titles which best represent Deaf Culture and the deaf community in America. The university would like the 150th Anniversary Library Bookshelf to be donated to schools and libraries around the nation to foster greater understanding about the lives and contributions of deaf people in America and to commemorate Gallaudet’s anniversary.

The editors at Gallaudet University Press selected 25 titles in seven core areas: American Sign Language, deaf history, education, parenting, children and young adult books, children of deaf adults (codas), and deaf literature. The criteria for choosing titles in these areas stemmed from their excellent reviews in library periodicals and their popularity with consumers. In 2011, the executive director of Public Library Association, a major division of the American Library Association, enthusiastically approved the bookshelf titles and their offered support for the project.

In December 2012, Gallaudet President T. Alan Hurwitz donated two of the collections on behalf of an anonymous donor. The first was presented to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, D.C., which has many services to accommodate deaf and hard of hearing library visitors. The second collection was given to Earle B. Wood Middle School in Rockville, Md., as the school has a large program for deaf and hard of hearing students.

“The 150th Anniversary Library Bookshelf is special because it includes books on a wide variety of topics relating to deaf history, deaf experiences, and deaf lives that can be enjoyed by the deaf and hearing communities alike,” said President Hurwitz. “We welcome those interested in spreading the cherished history of the deaf community to donate a book collection to a local school or library.”

Anyone interested in purchasing books for donation, please contact Gallaudet University Office of Communications and Public Relations at Contact here or (202) 651-5505.

Gallaudet’s 150th celebration is made possible by generous support from:

PLATINUM

Purple Logo GUAA logo

GOLD

Philip L. Graham Fund SVRS Logo