Thanks from the D.C. Ronald MacDonald House

We received this thank-you letter from the Washington D.C. Ronald MacDonald house. Please let Amy or Dena know if you'd like receive a copy of the scanned PDF via email.

WRAPping up for 2010

Congratulations! The WRAP project was a great success! We donated approximately 35 afghans, throws, and quilts with books to the Ronald McDonald House in Washington, DC during the 2010 MLA meeting. The completed projects were beautiful. And we received a lot of compliments from our HLS colleagues during the HLS reception, when some of the projects were on display, along with a poster board created by Amy.

Dena and Amy want to thank each and every participant for their commitment to this compassionate community service project. We will continue to update the blog with pictures!
We are already planning for Minneapolis 2011. If you are interested in participating, please contact us. You can read some of our early blog entries for some guidelines, pattern suggestions, etc.

A "new" idea for 2011 is adding knitted or crocheted stuffed animals, if you'd like to make one instead of a "blanket." And, if you're not a crafty librarian, you can partner with someone who is and donate the book to accompany the finished item.
Again, many thanks to our helping hands! A full list of participants and some pictures will be in July's National Network.
Best,
Amy and Dena
amy.frey@gmail.com
denahanson@sbcglobal.net

Kathy Zeblisky's Afghan

Check out Kathy Zeblisky's afghan - and the neat book going with it! Kathy is the Medical Librarian at Phoenix Children's Hospital in Arizona.

Helen Ann Brown Epstein's blankets

Helen Ann Brown Epstein sent a picture of her with her mother-in-law, Beatrice Epstein. She says "Mom has made 4 small blankets and I have made one larger one for this great cause. Both of us have been knitting for a long time and welcomed this opportunity to bring comfort to the families at the Ronald MacDonald House in Washington, D.C." Helen Ann is Head, Education and Outreach at the Weill Cornell Medical Library in New York City.

Deniz Ender and the Ladies of the American-Turkish Association

Deniz Ender and the Ladies of the American-Turkish Association contributed 9 blankets, these among them. Deniz is at the Rex Healthcare Library in Raleigh, North Carolina, and her colleagues in crafting are Tezer Andrews, Ayse Keskiner, Ece Guralp, Ayse Peksenar, Tulay Kabaca, Dilek Tapici, and Serap Olgun.

Deb Miller's Cat Quilt

Deb Miller at the Education Resource Center, Chambersburg Hospital in Chambersburg, PA created this kitty quilt.

More Drop Off Information

Dear All,

To help address the variety of concerns, can you:

1. Please take a photo(s) of your finished product (along with the book) and send to either of us beforehand. We will post to the blog and, if we get them in advance, Amy will make a nice poster to display at the business meeting.
2. Put your finished product in a plastic bag (clear) before putting into mailer. This will not only keep it clean(er), but, if we do have time to unwrap before handing over to Ronald McDonald House, it will keep the items together.

This is the first year for the WRAP project, so we're working out the details. Next year should be easier. Thanks for your enthusiasm, ideas, participation!
Amy & Dena
denahanson@sbcglobal.net
amy.frey@gmail.com

The Drop Off

It's time to thinking about gathering our projects. For those of you that will not make it to the MLA meeting in Washington, DC, please send your blankets and books to Amy Frey at home: 15 East Normandy Drive, West Hartford, CT 06107 (and please mark WRAP on outside of package so she doesn't open it!) by MAY 13.

For those of you that can join us at MLA this year, there are two times you can drop off your projects:

1. At the HLS Committee meetings, on Sunday, May 23 from 7:30 am - 9 am outside room 2A, 2nd Floor, ConnecticutHilton (we hope to provide a drop box)
   
2. At the HLS business meeting, Sunday May 23, from 6 pm - 7:30 pm, outside International Ballroom East, Concourse Level (again, hope to have a drop box)
   

If you are unable to drop off your project at either of these times, please leave a message on the Message Board for either Amy Frey or Dena Hanson. Include your CELL PHONE # or Hotel & Room Number so we can contact you.

A WRAP blanket is finished!

Just wanted to share with you some pictures of Dena's WRAP blanket. This Oat Couture pattern called Auntie's Afghan was a great deal of fun to knit; you start with a garter square, and then knit the rest in the round. Hope you can see the details in the photos!

How are you all coming along? Chosen yarn, fabric, a pattern? Something from the stash? Have you selected a book to send along? Share your thoughts with us!

Dena and Amy

Hospitals and Social Media

Some websites to keep in mind regarding hospitals (and hospital libraries!) using social media as part of communication with patients, family, and community...

How Hospitals Are Quietly Leading The Way With Social Media
http://blog.ogilvypr.com/2009/09/how-hospitals-are-quietly-leading-the-way-with-social-media/