Les prisonniers attendent vos livres / Le livre du prisonnier / Envoyez vos dons à la Collecte du livre des prisonniers de guerre [poster]

Abstract

Poster used for WWII prisoner of war book collection campaign IFLA was involved with in Switzerland; size: 99 x 65 cm. "In February 1943, a subcommittee was tasked with drawing up plans for a book collection drive in Switzerland. Organized under the banner "The Prisoner's Book" ('Le livre du prisonnier'), it was supported by the press and radio and promoted via a highly successful poster. Free postage was granted for shipments from donors, thanks to the [Comité International de la Croix-Rouge] ICRC's participation in the campaign. Participating organization —notably the YMCA—provided numerous volunteers to handle the work entailed by the drive; launched initially in Geneva, it subsequently expanded to other Swiss cantons. Local committees, which were highly active, retained a great deal of autonomy. Thanks to an effective division of tasks and the fact that appeals were made jointly, the drive succeeded in collecting 1,290,000 books and brochures in Switzerland; of these, approximately 827,000 deemed suitable for use were distributed among the participating organizations." ['Comité consultatif pour la lecture des prisonniers et internés de guerre : rapport sur son activité', page 10]