The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation in partnership with Baltimore Reads recently launched a new chapter of the Baltimore Elementary and Middle School Library Project on March 2nd.

Baltimore, MD, March 10, 2012 – The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation in partnership with Baltimore Reads recently launched a new chapter of the Baltimore Elementary and Middle School Library Project on March 2nd. The mission of this multi-year collaborative effort is to design, build, equip and staff new or renovated elementary and middle school libraries in low academic achievement, high-poverty neighborhoods.

Originally launched in December 2011, the initiative’s goal is to raise approximately $3.8 million from community and government partners. At the beginning of March, the project kicked-off its newest phase in honor of Read Across Maryland month by bringing together more than 40 local partners to assist with a book drive. The books are for local school libraries and for students between the ages of 3 – 14 to take home to build their own libraries. Additionally, the Weinberg Foundation announced another $1 million in funding for the second year of the project.

Governor O’Malley was on-hand to speak at the recent event. In attendance were a number of Baltimore-based businesses including Incite Creative Inc, a leading marketing and graphic design firm that specializes in assisting nonprofits. Incite has shown its support for the Library Book Drive as a sponsor and active member of the Library Project advisory committee, in addition to creating the project’s multi-color logo that represents books and the urban landscape. Incite Creative conducted focus groups with age-appropriate children and their parents to help provide the strategy for the logo and other brand enhancing elements also, including print and electronic invitations, book marks, book plates, signage and other marketing collateral.

“We’re honored to play a role in such an important and worthwhile endeavor,” says Incite Creative President, Dina Wasmer. “To see the logo and brand elements leveraged and extended into the architecture of the physical and interior spaces is very rewarding because it adds an extra level of visibility and timelessness to our contributions, and for us, that’s the cherry on top of an already fun project. Participation in the Book Drive was a natural next step in our journey with the project.”

For those who would like to donate books to the drive, they can go to any one of 80 drop-off locations in the Baltimore area or at the State House in Annapolis, and to one of the 20 MVA locations throughout the state.

Please visit http://hjweinbergfoundation.org/ to learn more about The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation. For more information about the Baltimore Elementary and Middle School Library Project and to support their drive, go to their website at http://www.baltimorelibraryproject.org/.

About Incite Creative (www.incitecreativeinc.com):
Now in its twelfth year in business, Incite Creative is a marketing and graphic design firm that specializes in strategic positioning, brand development and creative implementation services for Mid-Atlantic, small-to-mid-sized companies and organizations that have regional, national and international reach. For more information, log onto http://www.incitecreativeinc.com or contact Dina Wasmer at 410-366-9479 ext. 2# or dina@incitecreativeinc.com.

Contact:
Dina Wasmer
Incite Creative, Inc
1501 St. Paul Street, Suite 113
Baltimore, MD 21202
410-366-9479
dina@incitecreativeinc.com
http://www.incitecreativeinc.com