This is just a quick update on some of the great things happening at our Library thanks to your generous support.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS: BOOKLOVERS BASH
We are already in full planning mode for the October 18, 2019, Booklovers Bash. Our featured speaker is New York Times best-selling author and award-winning sportswriter Joe Posnanski. Joe Posnanski is the author of five books including the No. 1 New York Times bestseller Paterno. In a 30-year career as a sportswriter for Sports Illustrated, NBC Sports, Major League Baseball, the Kansas City Star and other publications, he was named National Sportswriter of the Year by five different organizations and won two Emmy Awards. We are thrilled he has chosen Cheyenne to feature his newest book, The Life and Afterlife of Houdini, which will be released just three days after our Bash.
Click on Joe’s caricature to the left to go to his podcast, aptly named, “The Poscast.”
Invitations will be mailed in September. Let me know if you would like to reserve your seat now. Click here to link to my email.
First Steps: A Campaign for Early Literacy
We are pleased to update you on the status of our First Steps: Early Literacy Begins at Home program. Funded entirely by the generosity of the LCLF’s donors, First Steps is ensuring that the youngest members of our community have access to early literacy opportunities that will set them up for success throughout their lifetimes.
Here is a quick update of what has been achieved in the first 8 months of the program.
We completed the program’s pilot phase. Each pilot family participated in the program for a 12-week period to test our developing processes, curriculum and materials. The feedback we received was positive and heartwarming. Our Early Literacy Specialist, EvaLyn Flores (pictured on the right), not only works with children, but also models to their parents how they can take an active role in promoting a literacy-rich environment for their families.
We completed the major upgrade to the interactive installation on the second floor. Be sure to stop by the Library to see it.
We are preparing material and drafting a memorandum of understanding to use with local businesses. This component of the program places Learning Spots in locations where parents take their children on a daily basis. Business owners will have three options: a wall mounted installation, a free standing installation, or handouts for parents to use with their children. We will let you know where the Burgeon installations are located in future newsletters.
In summary, we are now even more convinced that there is a true interest and need for this service. Your investment has provided a strong start. Knowing that the Library has the funds required to meet initial needs and to run the program for the first several years has instilled confidence in the team who is implementing First Steps. We really cannot thank you enough!
SUMMER READING CELEBRATION
The annual Summer Reading Celebration (SRC) is in full swing. Study after study shows that children who do not read through the summer start school in the fall having lost the skills they had gained by the end of the previous school year. This loss of learning leads to a need for relearning and these students often fall behind their peers.
The Foundation’s contributions to SRC ensure that every child and teenager who completes the program may select a brand new book from the summer reading prize tent. The titles are selected by the incredible librarians in the children’s area who know all the hot titles and interests of the various age levels, creating a true incentive to keep reading.
As of today, we have 4675 children and 2407 adults participating. It is remarkable to note that 2667 children and 1190 adults have already completed the challenge by reading for 25 hours or 25 days, or by completing 25 books. The prize tent on the second floor is the most exciting place in the Library. The amazing reader to the left is Carson. He completed his reading challenge today and is super excited to start on his prize book.
Thanks to all of the generous donors who helped support this year’s SRC. You make this program a summer-long celebration, the impacts of which last long into the school year.
THANK YOU
Our library continues to be our community’s hub. Thousands of people walk through the doors each month to check out books, use computers, participate in programs, have coffee at The Library Café, and attend meetings. The Laramie County Library Foundation is a proud partner of the Laramie County Library System and we are honored to help make their excellent services and programs even better through your generous support. We are a great team!
If you would like additional information about the Foundation’s programs, please contact me.
Kristi Wallin
Director
Laramie County Library Foundation
kwallin@lclsonline.org