Sowing Seeds of Compassion: MFA's Library Outreach Campaign

Education is key to liberation. Established community centers where knowledge and ideas abound and flow freely, public libraries are an ideal space to share information regarding the numerous benefits a plant-based diet has in improving our health, preserving the environment and protecting animals.

Through Mercy For Animals' pro-active, education-focused Library Outreach Campaign, community centers nationwide have been welcome hosts of our attention-grabbing and thought-provoking pro-vegetarian exhibits. Comprised of multiple panels and accompanying materials, the exhibits powerfully illustrate the disturbing reality of factory farming, countered with inspiring tips on preventing farmed animal abuse and information on moving toward a healthy and humane diet.

Seeking to make facts, ideas and data regarding vegetarianism, compassionate cooking, factory farming, and animal ethics and advocacy more accessible and visible, a second tier to MFA's Library Outreach Campaign consists of donating books, resources and documentary films on such issues to libraries nationwide.

Putting Compassion on Display: An Inside Look at MFA's Library Exhibit

MFA's library exhibits combine interesting facts, moving quotes, helpful tips, powerful images and free literature to inform readers about the cruel conditions in which over 9 billion farmed animals live and die within the United States annually. Exhibit viewers often walk away empowered and motivated to embark on a journey toward a plant-based diet.

Our professional displays include:

• Mouthwatering images of vegetarian foods that encourage healthy food choices, with additional tips and resources on how to transition toward a vegetarian diet
• Facts, figures and quotes from newspaper reports, government studies and animal welfare experts, detailing the inherent flaws in industrial agricultural systems – which treat sentient, feeling farmed animals as little more than production units
• Eye-catching photographs illustrating the treatment of animals used in food production, including images that vividly convey the cruel realities of factory farming
• Related material, such as vegetarian cookbooks and books on animal advocacy, supplied by the library from their own collection
• Brochures and leaflets for patrons to take with them for more information and links to on-line resources

Traveling year-round to libraries in states where MFA conducts grassroots advocacy campaigns, the display has been hosted by dozens of centers – opening the hearts and minds of countless patrons to farmed animal issues along the way.

Click each library display panel below to download.

Take Action: Bring a Pro-Vegetarian Library Display to Your Community

With some initial planning and a little creativity, you can bring this important form of community outreach to your neighborhood library.

Follow these easy tips to get started:

1. Contact your local library and ask to speak with the librarian or manager and inquire about space for displays. Be as professional, polite and enthusiastic as possible when explaining the type of exhibit you would like to arrange. Explain that you would like to erect an educational exhibit regarding the health, ethical and environmental benefits of a plant-based diet. In some cases, libraries might need to place you on a waiting list for weeks or even months. In that case, add yourself to the list and look for other libraries that have space for immediate display. Most displays will run for one month. Arrange an exact date and time to come to the library to set up your display.
2. Get the display case dimensions. Display spaces vary greatly from library to library, so it's important to find out the exact size and type of available space to properly plan and execute your display. Some questions to ask the librarian regarding the space include: Is it a glass case or shelf? What are the dimensions of the case (height and width)? Is there an available tabletop or a bulletin board to leave accompanying literature?
3. Create your own display or download one or more of the library display panels from Mercy For Animals. Just print, mount and use! Kinko's, Staples and other local printers can take the .pdf files from the display, print them in color at appropriate sizes and mount the panels on foam core board.
4. Order literature from MFA. Our Another Inconvenient Truth and Why Love One But Eat the Other? pamphlets and Vegetarian Starter Kits are particularly good choices to accompany exhibits.
5. Set Up Your Display, taking care that all panels are easily viewable and that accompanying literature is available. In addition, encourage your librarian to display appropriate library material from their collection. Consider displaying books on vegan cooking and animal rights.
6. Take a photograph of your display and email it to MFA; it may wind up as an inspirational photo on our website, blog or magazine.
7. Check on the display periodically to restock literature and make sure the panels are intact and optimally displayed. At the end of the month, or other agreed-upon time period, be sure to remove the display in a timely fashion. Clean the display case when leaving.
8. Send a thank you card! Show your sincere appreciation to your local library for hosting your important display. Assuming there is interest, the same library may be open to similar displays in the future, so it pays to be as attentive, polite and pleasant as possible when dealing with your library.

Other Ways to Help:

• Encourage your library to increase their selection of vegan cookbooks and materials on animal rights and advocacy by placing requests for these items; most libraries have forms specifically for this purpose.
• Donate your own vegetarian cookbooks and other materials to your local library; you'll be expanding their collection and making information on compassionate choices available to all patrons.
• Become an MFA intern: Put your compassion into action with an MFA internship. Internship opportunities are available year-round at our offices in Chicago, New York City and Columbus, Ohio. Click here for additional information and an internship application.
• Donate now! Make a tax-deductible contribution to support Mercy For Animals' life-saving work on behalf of the most abused and neglected creatures on earth: farmed animals. Click here for information on joining MFA's monthly giving club, and click here for information on joining The Hope Society.