Spring 2024 Newsletter

Jun 6, 2024 | Newsletter

Exciting News: Our New Website is Here!

Spring is the season for fresh starts, making it the perfect time to announce the launch of our new website!

Whether you visit us online from your computer or your mobile device, the user-friendly design and accessibility features make it easier to learn more about the Foundation, the impact of your gifts on the community, and how you can support your library.

Visit plsfdn.org and let us know what you think!

 

The website homepage on a mobile phone.

 

Feeling the Library Love

Thank you for sharing your love for the library with your generous gifts on Library Giving Day. A record $14,000 was raised and will support vital programming like the Summer Learning Challenge, Spark a Change, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, and community-based initiatives. We are grateful for your continued support of literacy and a love of learning throughout Pioneer Library System communities.

 

A woman doing ASL signs to a man, woman, and baby.

The Impact of Your Gifts

Your donations help fund systemwide programming and support community-based initiatives, such as a recent American Sign Language for Beginners and Beginner Baby Signs for Parents series at Norman Public Library West.

Branch Manager Mike Pierson shared customers’ inspiring motivations behind learning ASL, from grandparents eager to connect with a grandchild with cochlear implants to families preparing to foster deaf and hard of hearing children and parents seeking to build their child’s language skills. Nearly every class was full; some even had a waiting list of interested customers!

The response to this series speaks volumes about the positive impact and value of library programming. Your support truly enriches and empowers our community. Thank you!

 

Three OU female athletes hold up the book "Lulu and the Hunger Monster".

PLS and OU Student-Athletes Team Up for a Special Story Time Event

In April, student-athletes from the golf, basketball, volleyball, and football teams at the University of Oklahoma participated in a special children’s Story Time event at six PLS branches. They read the book “Lulu and the Hunger Monster” by Erik Talkin, a story written to help children understand food insecurity while developing empathy and understanding for others.

The event was a collaboration with the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and The Sooner Nation Collective to raise awareness about food insecurity in Oklahoma.

 

50,00 Books have been placed in the hands of children through Summer Learning Challenge since 2021.

Join the Summer Learning Challenge: Read, Learn, and Make a Difference!

The Summer Learning Challenge helps children and teens avoid learning loss during their break from school and provides lifelong learning opportunities for adults.

Participants log their time spent reading, learning, and attending library programs throughout the summer. Each minute counts as one point, and the goal is to reach 1,000 points. Thanks to our generous donors, the Foundation provides books as rewards for children reaching 500 and 750 points, motivating them to continue their reading and learning journey.

And that’s not all. Every participant’s activities count towards the community goal of 15 million points. When this goal is met, the Foundation will distribute books to children in low-income families in our service area to encourage reading by helping them build their home libraries.

Sign up today and help us share the joy of reading and learning!

 

Mad Hatter Tea Party: A Wonderland of Support for Libraries

We are thrilled to announce that the second annual Mad Hatter Tea Party was a resounding success, raising over $8,000 to support the Pioneer Library System branches in McLoud, Shawnee, and Tecumseh.

The event, led by the Queen of Hearts, featured a delightful dinner, entertainment, an exciting raffle, and the new “off with their heads!” hat auction, all benefiting library programming and outreach in Pottawatomie County.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to our sponsors, donors, and volunteers for their invaluable support.

P.S. For more wonderful moments, don’t forget to visit our Facebook page.

 

Coming Events

Save the date for these fun and educational children’s events hosted by the Foundation!