GREENSBORO, NC (July 24, 2009)
                                                                                                           
Library Wins Diversity Prize

The Greensboro Public Library won first place in the 2009 Diversity and Outreach Fair at the annual American Library Association conference in Chicago earlier this month. The Fair highlights diversity-in-action initiatives from outreach librarians across the country. It encourages librarians who are involved with diversity programs, activities and services in local libraries to share their resources with others. It also allows them to glean workable strategies for serving their community's underserved populations.

The Greensboro Public Library won first place for LifeVerse, a project that takes poetry programming into nursing homes, assisted-living centers, worship places and adult day care sites. According to Steve Sumerford, project director for LifeVerse, the judges based their decision on project innovation, promotional materials, and the potential for the project to become a model for other libraries.

LifeVerse, which was launched two years ago with funding from the North Carolina Arts Council, the North Carolina  Humanities Council, and the GPL Foundation, has taken poetry programs to more than 5,000 older adults in 25 facilities throughout Guilford County. Poets and community volunteers meet weekly with participants and present programs that spark memories of poems and verses from younger years. Participants are also introduced to contemporary poetry and coached in writing their own poems.

“It's amazing to witness a participant light up when they remember a smell or a taste from childhood sparked by a poem. All it takes is for one to remember and to share that memory, then others jump in with their stories. That's what LifeVerse provided -- the opportunity to use poetry as a catalyst for sparking memories, sharing experiences, and creating stories,” said poet Jacinta White, artistic director of the WORD project.

“LifeVerse gave voice to my participants in part silenced by their disabilities. It provided a stage where they were completely safe. One of my participants now writes poetry on his own. Can you even imagine that gift?” said Gail Moss, program director at the Adult Center for Enrichment at Temple Emanuel.

“National research studies indicate that creative art programs like LifeVerse can result in measurable improvements in the cognitive and physical health of participants,”  said Lia Miller, executive director of the Center for Creative Aging.

“LifeVerse participants have written some delightful and sometimes poignant poems and verses,” adds Sumerford. “From making persimmon pudding to how it feels to grow old, they have written about some of their most significant life experiences.”

With funding provided by program sponsors, the Library will soon publish an anthology of poems written by LifeVerse participants.

LifeVerse is sponsored by the Friends of the Greensboro Public Library. Co-sponsors include the Center for Creative Aging, the Adult Center for Enrichment, and the Senior Resources of Guilford.

The third year of LifeVerse will begin in September and volunteers are needed. A training session will be held from 5-9 pm on September 23. Call 373-3636 to register.

For more information, visit the Poetry GSO web site.

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