Press Releases

NEWS | EVENTS

Recent Press Releases:

6/18/08 LFF Names Winning Fit For Life Libraries

6/13/08 Library Leaders Chosen for Lifelong Libraries Institute

4/23/08 MetLife Foundation Invests in Health Information Role for Libraries

Partnership with MetLife Foundation
A $450,000 grant from the MetLife Foundation has allowed LFF to launch Fit for Life as an enhanced follow-on to two earlier co-ventures. The original Fit for Life offered library-based fitness programming and promotion for teens and their families, while the pilot project Get Real Get Fit showed the power of libraries to involve teens in fitness programs that extend beyond the library’s walls.

MetLife Foundation asked LFF to create the all-new Fit for Life as a vehicle for bringing important new research findings to the attention of the general public. There is a growing body of scientific and medical knowledge on the importance of brain health, but few channels for communicating new findings to the public.

“MetLife Foundation is committed to health education, both physical fitness and brain health, for people of all ages,” said Sybil Jacobson, President and CEO of MetLife Foundation. “We are proud to partner with Libraries for the Future on Fit for Life, which demonstrates the Foundation's commitment to providing the public with knowledge that can help people not only live longer, but live better.”

LFF will post a request for proposals (RFP) to libraries nationwide in late April on the Fit for Life website: www.fitforlifelibraries.org. Fit for Life will extend grant awards to 15 urban library networks. Each participating library will be required to submit a proposal in collaboration with at least five community organizations, to expand possibilities for community outreach and activities. FFL libraries will be charged with launching community-wide public awareness campaigns to promote the importance of fitness and nutrition, offering health programming for individuals of all ages, distributing free health publications, and recording accomplishments related to all of the above.

“Public libraries have a unique role to play in sharing cutting-edge information on both physical and brain health for all ages,” said Bruce Astrein, executive director of LFF. “They have the ability to reach youth and adults in rural, urban, and suburban areas. They play a growing role in filling the urgent need for free, reliable health information, especially at a time when so many people lack easy access to doctors and nurses. And they already promote the building blocks of brain health by involving people of all ages in forums, conversations, the search for knowledge, computers, artwork, and dynamic programs.”
 
The Fit for Life Program
The new Fit for Life program expands the target audience beyond teens to people of all ages, and beyond physical health to the cutting-edge field of brain health. LFF will work with leading neuroscientists and organizations that support research in brain health to develop the program curriculum and training agenda. LFF is delighted to have an early commitment from the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives, a nonprofit organization of more than 265 leading neuroscientists, for partnership in ensuring that Fit for Life reflects the most accurate, up-to-the-minute research findings to support physical and brain health across the lifespan.

Based on recent research, FFL will deploy a five-part approach to brain health that focuses on diet, physical exercise, intellectual challenge, mental stimulation through new experiences, and socialization. It will translate these components into programs and activities geared for different age levels, using approaches field-tested in LFF’s array of signature library programs (such as Family Place Libraries and EqualAccess Libraries). The Fit for Life website (www.fitforlifelibraries.org) will offer detailed information on each component, as well as activities for library participants and all web users.

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About Libraries for the Future
Libraries for the Future is a national nonprofit organization that supports innovation and investment in America’s libraries. Through its cutting-edge programs, research, regrants, and trainings, LFF helps local libraries address the ever-changing needs of their communities. For more information, please visit www.lff.org.
 
About the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives
The Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives is a nonprofit organization of more than 265 leading neuroscientists who are committed to advancing public awareness about the progress and promise of brain research and to disseminating information about the brain in an accessible fashion. The Dana Alliance, supported entirely by the Dana Foundation, does not fund research or make grants. For more information, please visit http://www.dana.org/danaalliances/about/.

About MetLife Foundation
MetLife Foundation was established by MetLife to continue the company’s long tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. The Foundation supports programs that improve education, promote health, encourage parental involvement and family engagement, help revitalize neighborhoods and stress accessibility and inclusion. In recent years, a focus on Alzheimer's and aging issues has been added. MetLife Foundation stresses education in all its programs. Recognizing the vital role the arts play in building communities and educating young people, the Foundation contributes to arts and cultural organizations across the United States, with an emphasis on increasing opportunities for young people, reaching broad audiences through inclusive programming, and making arts more accessible for all people. For more information about the Foundation, please visit www.metlife.org.

For more information, please contact:
Nina Sonenberg, VP Communications, LFF, nsonenberg@lff.org.