KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR TO BE LIBRARY CARD SIGN-UP MONTH HONORARY CHAIR

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the National Basketball Association's (NBA) all-time leading scorer and a prolific author, has been named honorary chair of Library Card Sign-up Month. Held in September, Library Card Sign-up Month is a time to remind parents and children that a library card is the most important school supply of all.

Abdul-Jabbar led UCLA to three consecutive National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) titles and the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers to six NBA championships. But Abdul-Jabbar's achievements go far beyond the court. He has written several books, including "On the Shoulders of Giants: My Journey Through the Harlem Renaissance; "Giant Steps"; "Black Profiles in Courage"; "A Season on a Reservation"; and "Brothers in Arms." Four of his books reached bestseller lists.

Abdul-Jabbar said, "The library has always been my own personal time machine. I can walk through the doors and land in any place, any time period in history. I didn't have to wonder what their worlds were like; I could experience it first hand."

Library Card Sign-up Month was launched in 1987. Since then, thousands of public and school libraries join each fall in a national effort to ensure every child does just that. Free tools to help libraries promote Library Card Sign-up Month are available at http://www.ala.org/librarycardsignup.