The Lending Library program is a collaboration between the Dana Alliance and university neuroscience departments. Brain and neuron models, posters, and related educational materials are provided to neuroscience departments to be used to provide neuroscience education to the public.  Programs can be in affiliation with local schools and community centers or presentations at museums, summer camps, etc.   

To qualify, a department must verify that an outreach education program is currently in place or submit a written plan to start such an outreach program.  This letter is to ensure that the program will continue even though post-docs or faculty may leave the university.  In addition, a contact person must be designated to be responsible to keep the Lending Library materials. The university contact person is responsible for the Lending Library and provides two reports each year on the individual uses of the materials, including the number of people reached. 

Once it is established that a program exists or that the department wants to start a program and a contact person is designated, our aim is to provide easily transportable models, posters, etc. for outreach education in the community (we do not provide art supplies).  As a part of the Lending Library program, teachers in those schools in the relationship with the university may also borrow the materials when teaching units on the brain.  Dana Alliance brochures are also provided as needed.

Lending Library partners are: 

• The University of Wisconsin-Madison
• The University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Neurosciences Graduate Program 
• The Center for Behavioral Neuroscience in Atlanta (comprised of Georgia State University, Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, Spellman College, Morris Brown College, and Clark University)
• Vanderbilt University 
• The University of Texas-Houston Health Science Center 
• Washington University at St. Louis 
• The University of Massachusetts Medical School-Worcester 
• The University of Virginia 
• The University of Washington 
• Oregon Health and Science University 
• Yale University 

For additional information or to apply to be a Lending Library partner, contact Kathleen Roina at kroina@dana.org.

Feature story: Lending Library in full swing during summer 2008