December 14th, 2011
The Library plays so many unique roles in our daily lives. Depending on your interests, it can be your classroom, your office, a music stage or community hearth where you can gather with friends or simply escape with a good book.
The trust and sense of belonging that people feel about the Library helped drive the 1.9 million visits last year to the 10 branches across Greene County communities. The depth of our online resources – from job listings to e-book downloads to research databases – drove another 3.1 million visits to the website, thelibrary.org. And in its first year, the mobile website had 25,219 website views from mobile devices.
The Library met other community needs in varied ways last year through the help of our donors:
- The Mobile Library has traveled 4,250 miles – 26 stops per week – since it began running in June. The bookmobile enables us to put books, music and movies into the hands of more than 18,000 people.
- More than 3,200 people attended computer skills and professional development classes at the Edge Community Technology Center. In a sign of the times, unemployed adults outnumbered retirees in the classes.
- The Library launched its signature early-literacy program, Racing to Read. Children’s storytimes, early learning centers and parent workshops are geared to help build children’s skills so they’re ready to read and succeed in school.
Librarians are passionate about providing the kinds of instruction and up-to-date materials you expect from your Springfield-Greene County Libraries. They are committed to staying in step with technology, providing the computers, software and classes to help you master new skills – or download free e-books.
Grants and gifts from people who love the Library – like you – help us enhance the rich diversity of resources and programs you’ve come to expect.
As the calendar year draws to a close, we encourage you to make a gift to the Library Foundation Annual Fund. With your help, we can continue providing the kinds of welcoming spaces and important services that can transform lives.
Sincerely,
Juli Moseley, President
Springfield-Greene County Library Foundation
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November 26th, 2011
The Library Foundation Finance Committee will meet Monday, November 28, at 11 a.m. at the Republic Branch Library. The Library Foundation Board meeting will follow at noon.
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May 23rd, 2011
The Annie Busch Fund for Early Literacy, named in honor of former Library Director Annie Busch, supports the Library’s many early literacy programs. Last year the Library provided 1,657 early literacy trainings for 3,565 parents and gave away 6,183 free books. These programs encourage families to read together at home and teach parents to help their children be ready to read when they enter kindergarten. Your gift to the Annie Busch Fund for Early Literacy supports trainings like these and special projects like the new Racing to Read initiative.
Donate online today. Simply note “Early Literacy Fund” on the gift form.
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May 2nd, 2011
Children and families are invited to have some fun at each of the branch libraries all day Thursday, May 5, when the library rolls out the new Racing to Read project. There will also be drawings for free books for families that attend.
Racing to Read is a library program that encourages play and talk between parents and children to teach little ones the skills they need to be prepared for kindergarten. Early learning stations are at the Library Center, Library Station, and the Republic, Brentwood and Midtown Carnegie branches. The other branches will include many of the same toys and activities
The activities encourage imagination, conversation and exploration – all essential for children to be open to learning.
“Reading, talking and playing are fun, easy and valuable ways parents can help their young children learn,” said district youth services coordinator Nancee Dahms-Stinson.
“Playing is the foundation for learning for children, and when it’s paired with parental interaction, its value is immeasurable,” Nancee said.
The youth services staff is developing Racing to Read through generous grants from the Rotary Club of Springfield, Rotary Club District 6080, the Library Foundation and the Missouri Parent Information Resource Center Southwest.
The library will continue building on Racing to Read with parenting workshops and more activities in the future.
“Each time you visit the Library, you and your child will find something new and delightful to discover and explore,” Nancee added. “The learning part is up to you and your child; the library is your resource.”
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February 8th, 2011
The Library Foundation approved two new grants for the Library District:
- A $5,000 grant from the Annie Busch Fund for Early Literacy will benefit the Library’s new early literacy initiative, Racing to Read.
- A $4,500 grant will support enhancements to the young adult nonfiction collection.
Racing to Read will build upon the recent growth and success of the Library’s early literacy programming. The initiative will promote five key strategies for building early literacy skills: Love Books, Sing & Rhyme, Tell Stories, Talk and Read, and Play with Letters.
These strategies will be branded in a highly visible marketing campaign to ensure that every parent and caregiver who visits a children’s space at the Library or attends a library program will be exposed to early literacy in a consistent and memorable way. As part of the initiative, the Library will purchase new literacy skill-building toys, games and activities for each branch. The activities, with the promotional materials, will create early learning environments that invite curiosity in children and promote early literacy skills to parents in a way that’s easy to understand.
The initiative will include special educational materials for low-income families served by the Library’s outreach program at Head Start, the WIC clinic and other agencies. These families will receive take-home magnets and early literacy skills cards. Parents will be encouraged to use the magnets to display handouts, booklists and activities sheets they receive at programs. The five different “flashcards,” one for each strategy, will have booklists and activities to do at home.
In 2009, local kindergarten readiness scores showed that 37 percent of our children were not ready to learn to read when they started school. The Racing to Read initiative directly addresses that problem and promotes the Library as a vital partner and resource for parents, caregivers and community agencies in helping children be ready to learn when they enter school.
Racing to Read is possible through support from the Library Foundation, the Rotary Club of Springfield and Rotary District 6080.
Tags: Early Literacy
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January 13th, 2011
The Library Foundation is pleased to launch this new website.
YourLibraryFoundation.org is the place for you to learn about ways to share your passion for literacy, education, opportunity and the quality of life our library provides. We developed the site with two goals in mind:
1. To make it easy for you to give in support of your favorite Library service or program.
2. To provide you with meaningful information about how your gifts are making a difference to the Library and the many people they serve.
This site is just the beginning. We will continue to make improvements toward effectively meeting these two goals and invite you to help us ensure that the site is a useful and relevant communication tool. Please take a look around and send your comments and suggestions to foundation@thelibrary.org.
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January 10th, 2011
The Library Foundation wishes to extend a heartfelt thank you to the many donors who supported this year’s annual campaign. Together you raised more than $6,000 to support the Library’s mission of encouraging life-long learning, self-improvement and self expression. Thank you for being passionate about the Library.
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November 23rd, 2010
People who love books and giving books as gifts can spread cheer further this year by giving a children’s book to the Springfield-Greene County Library District with a donation to the library’s Holiday Book Trees and Wreaths.
From November 27-December 23, each branch of the Springfield-Greene County Library District will display a tree or wreath decorated with ornaments depicting books that are on the library district’s wish list.
When a person donates the $5, $10, $15 or $20 for a specific title, that book will be added to the district’s circulating collection for any child to check out and enjoy. The donor’s name will then be added to the ornament and placed back on the tree or wreath to inspire others.
For details, call Library Foundation Director Regina Greer Cooper at 417.883.5366.
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November 4th, 2010
Is a Nook on your Christmas list this year? Are you a book lover who loves to give books?
You can turn your purchase dollars into more gifts when you shop during the Library Foundation’s “Barnes & Noble Bookfair” on Saturday, Nov. 13, at 3055 S. Glenstone Ave., and online Nov. 13 -18.
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