How Your Support Enriched Lives and Empowered Our Community
Thank you for your amazing support of the Pioneer Library System Foundation this past year. Your kindness and generosity promoted children’s early literacy skills, supported innovative programs, and empowered people to reach their goals. We’re excited to share more about how your contributions have positively impacted our community!
Inspiring a Love of Reading
Over the past year, 104,215 books were delivered to more than 10,000 children in the Pioneer Library System service area through a partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. This free, monthly book-gifting program provides high-quality, age-appropriate books to enrolled children from birth to age 5, helping them develop a love for reading at an early age.
A Summer of Growth and Discovery
The annual Summer Learning Challenge engaged children and teens in meaningful and enriching activities essential for their success in school and beyond and provided adults with lifelong learning opportunities. This summer, 9,785 children, teens, and adults participated and logged 24 million minutes of reading and learning!
Empowering Community Wellness
In the past year, our libraries offered 815 health programs to support and enhance the community’s physical and mental well-being. 10,428 community members participated in these activities, which served people of all ages, from children to seniors. Participants engaged in programs like healthy cooking classes, yoga with alpacas, hip-hop and breakdancing, gardening workshops, meditation, and more!
Bridging the Literacy Gap
Access to books and educational materials plays a big role in developing literacy skills. Unfortunately, almost 60% of children from disadvantaged families don’t have any books at home. To help bridge this gap, 6,408 books were distributed through local health departments to children in low-income families. This effort helped build their home libraries and supported caregivers in fostering their children’s early literacy skills, setting them up for success in kindergarten and future learning.
Tailored Support for Local Needs
The ten communities PLS serves are all unique. That is why, along with supporting systemwide projects, we helped branch managers respond to the specific needs of their communities. This was accomplished by funding presenters, materials, and outreach for hundreds of local programs and initiatives!
Here are some highlights from the past year:
- Self-Publishing Series for Kids at Norman East
- Citizen Science activities in Noble
- American Sign Language classes at Norman West
- STEAM Experience Centers in Newcastle
- Teen Area in Shawnee
- Sensory Corner in Moore
- Intergenerational Art programs in Blanchard
Celebrating Community Spirit: Events That Brought Us Together to Support Our Libraries
Special Thanks to our 2023-24 Grant Partners
