IBBY-Story Sunbirds: Libraries are Havens Fundraiser

PURPOSE: To raise money for humanitarian aid to support the library communities of Gaza.

GOAL: Fundraise via IBBY Children in Crisis Fund for the IBBY Palestine Librarians with a goal of 10,000 USD by 1 June 2025.

RECIPIENTS: Funds will support everyone connected to the two IBBY libraries of Gaza — children, librarians, and families.

September 2025: IBBY Palestine Email Updates from Gaza

The ongoing genocide in Gaza has brought devastation on a scale that continues to defy words. The IBBY Palestine community has shared updates through email, mourning the loss of children, families, cultural institutions, and entire neighbourhoods, in what is a systematic and multi-layered assault on Palestinian life and heritage.

The two IBBY libraries in Gaza, symbols of peace, hope, and literacy, have been destroyed. These spaces once served hundreds of children, nurturing their creativity, imagination, and love for books. Today, many of the children who were members of these libraries have been killed in the conflict. Their names and photos are being collected by the IBBY Palestine librarians.

The Israeli military’s actions are not only targeting people. It is a destruction of education, culture, homes, hospitals, and history itself. The people of Gaza are experiencing what IBBY Palestine describes as a multi-genocide:

Educide and scholasticide: the destruction of schools and the killing of educators.
Culturcide and urbicide: the erasure of cultural institutions and entire city blocks.
Domicide and politicide: the obliteration of homes and the targeting of civic life.
Ecocide: the devastation of Gaza’s already fragile environment.

We are also witnessing an unprecedented loss of life among doctors, journalists, artists, professors, and above all, children. These acts aim to erase not only the present but also the future of Palestinian life and identity.

Despite the heartbreak, we continue to act. Thanks to the generous support from the communities of the Story Sunbirds, the IBBY Sections, and the advocacy of people all around the world, the Story Sunbirds, IBBY, and IBBY Palestine has been able to provide:

Salaries for librarians and the local coordinator
Humanitarian aid to artists, writers, and cultural workers involved in our library programs
Emergency support for IBBY Palestine library families displaced from Gaza City
Direct aid to families of the library children, many of whom do not have access to bank accounts

To distribute this support, families are registering for PayPal accounts, and IBBY Palestine has successfully transferred aid to 18 families so far.

The value of money continues to erode due to inflation and currency fluctuations—$100 now has the purchasing power of approximately $60–$70. Basic goods like food and clean water remain scarce and unaffordable for most. Yet, with your help, we continue to reach those most in need.

We remain committed to reviving our libraries and honouring the children who once filled them with laughter, curiosity, and joy.

6 June 2025

Thank You for Supporting the IBBY-Story Sunbirds “Libraries are Havens” Fundraiser

Thanks to your incredible generosity, advocacy, and care, we are proud to share that we have reached our fundraising goal for the Libraries are Havens campaign. Your support means the world, not only to us at IBBY, but especially to the librarians, children, and families in Gaza whose lives you have touched. Together, we’ve sent a powerful message: that libraries matter, that stories endure, and that in times of crisis, community and compassion can light the way forward.

As we now move forward in arranging the logistics of providing aid to our librarians, we hope to receive news from our librarians on their well-being. We will share updates through here as we go. Thank you for standing with us and for all of your support.

Read the thank you letter from IBBY President Basarat Kazim and Story Sunbird Danielle Davis here.

Testimony from Abla Hamad, IBBY Palestine librarian in Gaza, June 2025:

“Oh God, oh God, we are alive! The situation is not easy at all, but there is a glimmer of hope. Oh God, there will be a solution soon.Your efforts with us in this ordeal are what brought my voice and the voice of our children to the free people of the world. The world is gathering so that together we may be able to have an imprint and an impact in reviving our rights and our cause. It is being revived by our efforts with you and efforts of the free people, who support our right for a free homeland!”

29 April 2025

Story Sunbirds and IBBY launch “LIBRARIES ARE HAVENS” fundraiser to support librarians in need in Gaza

Libraries are havens—safe spaces where knowledge, imagination, and community converge. In times of peace, they nurture curiosity and lifelong learning; in times of crisis, they offer solace, stability, and hope. For displaced communities, a library is more than a building—it is a symbol of resilience and a beacon of humanity. Rebuilding libraries and supporting the librarians who sustain them is an act of restoring not just books, but dignity, memory, and the right to dream.

Two IBBY libraries were established in Gaza in 2008, one in Rafah, one in Beit Hanoun. The Israeli war raging in Gaza since October 2023 has had fateful consequences on the libraries. In Beit Hanoun the building was turned to rubble, and while the Rafah library still stands on its feet, it was bombed and severely damaged. Abla Hamad, one of the two full-time librarians employed by IBBY Palestine, and her family, have been displaced on more than seven occasions. She has continued her work with children whenever circumstances allow, as covered in a video news report by Al Jazeera+ in September 2024 (in Arabic). In November 2024, IBBY International pledged to revive and rebuild the libraries in Gaza and commence bibliotherapy and psychosocial activities for the children in makeshift spaces.

As the humanitarian conditions have continued to deteriorate, the Story Sunbirds, a Kidlit collective, has launched a campaign alongside IBBY Palestine to provide life-saving aid to displaced librarians, as it is through their incredible labor that books reach the hands of children everywhere.

Join the fundraiser to support the librarians, their families, and their communities who made these libraries their home. Every donation will support in providing humanitarian aid: food, water, essential living supplies such as tents, clothing, hygiene, etc. to those connected to the two IBBY libraries in Gaza — children, librarians, and families.

Translated testimony from Abla Hamad, one of the librarians:

“..the library was the warm place for many children to express their talents and creativity. When the library started, it was a small room...The number of books was small but...it grew and developed...it was bombarded and destroyed.”

Click to view the images and read the statements of our supporting authors!

Story Sunbirds

A Kidlit Collective for All. Our mission is to cultivate a dynamic and inclusive children's literature community rooted in justice and anti-racism and anti-colonialism. As a collective of writers, illustrators, and publishing professionals, we prioritize the holistic growth and needs of all children, ensuring their voices and experiences are at the forefront of our creative works.