Librarians Educate Community on Blood Donation Policy

In an effort to educate the library community about the issues regarding blood donations, the ALA Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table (GLBTRT) is sponsoring the discussion panel "Blood Donation: Facts, Fear, and Discrimination," from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 1, in McCormick Place West, room 183C.

Speakers will include Dr. Magda Houlberg, chief clinical officer, Howard Brown Health Center; Dr. Robert Garofalo, professor, Northwestern University Feiberg School of Medicine; and the Hon. Mike Quigley, Congressman, Illinois 5th District.

From the onset, this ban has been controversial. While the government has imposed exclusions that limit or restrict the donor pool, the ban on accepting blood donations from gay and bisexual men is deemed by many as unjustified and discriminatory, unfairly prohibiting healthy men from donating much needed, life-saving blood.

In addition, in recognition of National Blood Donor Month, Librarians Build Communities (LBC), a Membership Initiative Group of the American Library Association (ALA), has organized a community blood drive during the 2015 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Chicago. Conference attendees will join LBC in this life-saving event on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015, and Sunday, Feb. 1, 2015, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the end of aisle 4800, ALA Exhibit Hall, McCormick Place West (MPW) - Level 3, Halls F1, F2. Special thanks to LifeSource.

LBC supports the GLBTRT's panel discussion and encourages ALA members to both donate blood and attend the panel discussion to be informed and have their voices heard.

Generally held in January, the ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits draws nearly 10,000 leaders in the library and information industry for some 2,400 meetings and events. The exhibit hall features more than 450 exhibits showcasing the latest in books, technology, furnishings and other materials and resources available to millions of library users.

Please visit www.ala.org/midwinter for more information regarding the ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits. For information regarding the ALA's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table, which serves the information needs of the GLBT professional library community, please visit http://www.ala.org/glbtrt/.