George Lopez Joins ‘Smartest Card’ Library Campaign.

George Lopez – celebrated author, writer, producer and star of ABC-TV’s hit sitcom ‘George Lopez’ will lend his support to a new national advocacy effort to make the library card the most valued and used card in every wallet.

“The Smartest Card. Get It. Use It. @ your library” campaign, sponsored by the Public Library Association (PLA), a division of the American Library Association, launched nationally September 30 at Brooklyn Public Library. Thousands of libraries across the country will use the campaign to promote library card use and enrollment.

“George Lopez,” the critically acclaimed family comedy now in its fourth season, regularly addresses issues related to literacy with frequent story lines exploring George and his son Max’s (played by series regular Luis Armand Garcia) struggles with Dyslexia.

“We are thrilled Mr. Lopez will be a spokesperson for this national initiative,” said PLA President Clara Bohrer. “His warmth and humor will be great assets in our efforts to reach people who may not be taking full advantage of all the great resources available for free in libraries nationwide. Libraries are places of opportunity for all Americans, and a library card is the best back-to-school supply and the smartest card a parent can give his or her child.”

Lopez, who is a library card holder at the Los Angeles Public Library, will lend his image and voice to promoting library card usage through the ALA’s renowned READ poster series, a poster to promote library card sign up and usage, and television, radio and print public service announcements.

“I’m delighted to be part of a program that encourages people to read. Libraries are an amazing source of information and ideas in an environment that is open to everyone, regardless of their color, religion or social statusA library card provides each of us with the same access to knowledge. Reading fuels your dreams,” said George Lopez.

With more free public libraries in this country than there are McDonalds, every person in this country can easily find and afford a healthy diet of books, CDs, videos and free Internet access. Sixty-two percent of adult Americans say they have a library card, and adults with children are the most likely to have a library card (73 percent). Studies show that children who are read to in the home and who use the library perform better in school and are more likely to continue to use the library as a source of lifetime learning.

The “Smartest Card” initiative is part of The Campaign for America’s Libraries, a multi-year public awareness and advocacy effort by the ALA to speak loudly and clearly about the value of libraries, librarians and library workers in the 21st Century.