Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation

THE FOUNDATION MOBILIZES RESOURCES AND RELATIONSHIPS THAT EMPOWER OUR LIBRARY.

THE CEDAR RAPIDS PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION SUPPORTED OUR LIBRARY'S EFFORTS TO PROMOTE ACCESS, LITERACY, AND INCLUSION FOR ALL AGES. DOLLY PARTON'S IMAGINATION LIBRARY ENTERED ITS FIFTH YEAR OF SENDING FREE, AGE-APPROPRIATE BOOKS TO CHILDREN UNDER 5 IN CEDAR RAPIDS. AS OF JUNE 30, 2022, WE HAVE MAILED MORE THAN 255,000 BOOKS TO CHILDREN IN CEDAR RAPIDS, AND ENROLLMENT IS OVER 5,600 CHILDREN UNDER FIVE. OUR LIBRARY'S PARTNERSHIP WITH CARGILL ENTERED ITS 31ST YEAR AND CONTINUES TO FUND OUTREACH PROGRAMS FOR PRESCHOOLS SERVING AT-RISK CHILDREN. COVID PROTOCOLS WERE KEPT IN PLACE WITH OUR LIBRARY PROVIDING 12 VIDEO STORY TIMES AND 1,050 BOOKS FOR 115 PRESCHOOLERS DURING THE 2021-22 SCHOOL YEAR.

THE CEDAR RAPIDS PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION CONTINUES TO SUPPORT OUR LIBRARY'S EFFORTS TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO ROBUST MATERIALS THROUGH THEIR PRINT AND ONLINE COLLECTIONS. THREE YEARS AGO, THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION BEGAN FUNDING AN ONLINE RESOURCE FOR DIGITAL MATERIALS CALLED HOOPLA. THIS PLATFORM INCREASED OUR DIGITAL COLLECTION OFFERINGS TO INCLUDE COMIC BOOKS, POPULAR MOVIES, SOUNDTRACKS, AND MORE. MORE IMPORTANTLY, HOOPLA ALLOWS IMMEDIATE STREAMING OF (OR INSTANT ACCESS TO) THE DESIRED CONTENT, RATHER THAN REQUIRING A HOLDS LIST FOR POPULAR TITLES. WHEN THE PANDEMIC CLOSED LIBRARY DOORS, ITS ONLINE COLLECTIONS SAW A GREAT JUMP IN USE. IN ITS FOURTH YEAR, HOOPLA USAGE INCREASED TO 2,600 CHECKOUTS PER MONTH TOTALING 32,366 ITEMS STREAMED IN FY22.

AN INNOVATIVE ADDITION TO THE LIBRARY'S PROGRAMS AND OUTREACH IN 2021 WAS A MOBILE TECHNOLOGY LAB. IN FY22, IT CONTINUED OFFERING TECH TO GO PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. THIS YEAR, THE VAN VISITED SEVEN DIFFERENT PARKS EVERY WEEK AND SEVERAL COMMUNITY IMPACT SITES FROM JUNE INTO EARLY AUGUST. THE MOBILE TECHNOLOGY LAB OFFERED 122 PROGRAMS AT 35 UNIQUE LOCATIONS WITH 4,826 ATTENDEES. AN EXPANDED FOCUS FOR THE MOBILE TECHNOLOGY LAB IN FY22 WAS WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT OUTREACH. THIS YEAR THERE WERE 18 UNIQUE LOCATIONS SERVED WITH 54 TOTAL IN-PERSON EVENTS. THERE WERE 43 JOB APPLICATIONS COMPLETED, MORE THAN 75 RESUMES CREATED, AND NINE REPORTED JOBS OBTAINED. TOTAL PATRONS SERVED AT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS WAS 253.OUR LIBRARY'S INTERGENERATIONAL READING PROGRAM KNOWN AS THE SUMMER DARE RETURNED TO IN-PERSON PROGRAMS IN 2022. THERE WERE 1,947 READERS REGISTERED AND COLLECTIVELY, THEY READ 680,290 MINUTES IN JUNE AND JULY. THE LIBRARY STAFF CONDUCTED 188 IN-PERSON PROGRAMS WITH ATTENDANCE OF 7,163.

THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION CONTINUES TO SUPPORT OUR LIBRARY STAFF YEAR-ROUND WITH CONTINUING EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES. THE LIBRARY FOUNDATION USES STORYTELLING TO RAISE AWARENESS OF LIBRARY PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THROUGH NEWSLETTER PUBLICATIONS AND BROCHURES SHARED AT SPEAKING EVENTS.