Library Giving Day: Inspiring the Joy & Skills of Reading
Posted on March 26, 2024 at 6:00 am
By Jane Baker
There are times when I wish there were better synonyms for the word “reading.” Words that nuance the enjoyment and pleasure that you experience from reading what you want and like. I wish there was a word that conveyed the joy on a child’s face when they master sounding out a new word, another for the satisfaction they feel reading a book to a sibling or pet, and one for the pride they take when embracing a new book of their very own.
To boost the library’s Summer Reading Program, the Library Foundation of Spokane County is fundraising to give books to kids and teens in Spokane County to kick off summer reading.
You can give the gift of reading.
The goal is to raise enough funds during Library Giving Day so that each youth who registers for summer reading can choose one from a selection of new books that they can keep for their very own.
“Research shows that choosing their own reading material is a better reading motivator for kids than any prize,” shares Gwendolyn Haley, Public Services Manager at Spokane County Library District (SCLD).
It is not surprising that choice is the single best reading motivator for kids—the joy of reading comes from reading what you’re interested in knowing more about.
Also, kids who read beat the summer slide. Summer slide (also called summer learning loss) happens when kids don’t read over the summer and lose ground with reading skills. It has been proven that access to books during the summer prevents a drastic loss in reading skills.
The Summer Reading Program at SCLD encourages kids to maintain or improve their reading skills, helping to ensure that they are ready to learn when returning to school in the fall, instead of having to regain forgotten skills.
This Library Giving Day, you can give the gift of reading to children.
Your donation to Library Giving Day goes directly to covering the cost of providing books to kids this summer. These books will help children maintain or improve their reading skills, as well as help instill the joy of reading.
Over 900 children registered for summer reading in 2023. SCLD is expecting the same interest, or hopefully even more, for this summer.
Your donation to Library Giving Day can make this positive impact on the youth in our communities.
The Library Foundation has set a fundraising goal of $5,000 for Library Giving Day on Wednesday, April 3, and donations for Summer Reading will be accepted until the end of the month. Donations of any size are appreciated.
How to Donate
Library Giving Day
April 3, 2024
Donations accepted for summer reading books through April 30
Your gift to Library Giving Day can be made online at the Library Giving Day web page or by scanning the QR code.
If you’d like to donate in person, Library Foundation envelopes are available at all SCLD locations.
What a great opportunity to spread the joy, along with the skills, of reading!
Jane Baker is the Communication & Development Director for Spokane County Library District, managing library marketing, public relations, and fundraising. In her free time, she enjoys photography, hiking, paddle boarding, gardening, and being outdoors in the Northwest.
Tags: books, donations, kids, Library Giving Day, reading, teens
