King County Library System Foundation

TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR KING COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM.

KCLS INNOVATION PROGRAMS INCLUDE HOTSPOT LENDING SERVICES, EMERGING TECHNOLOGY, LEAN LIBRARY PROJECT, PATRON ENGAGEMENT DATA, MEASUREMENT AND EXPERIMENTATION ENABLEMENT, AND DATA ENGINEERING. COLLECTIVELY, THESE PROGRAMS ARE IMPROVING THE ABILITY OF KCLS TO UTILIZE DATA AND TECHNOLOGY TO BETTER SERVE ITS INCREASINGLY DIVERSE COMMUNITIES. THE GOAL OF THE LEAN LIBRARY PROJECT IS TO REDUCE TURNAROUND TIME OF MATERIALS AND TO ADD FLEXIBILITY TO OUR PROCESSES. DATA ENGINEERING FOCUS ON EXPANSION OF THE KCLS DATA WAREHOUSE WITH THE GOALS OF: ONBOARDING ALL KCLS DATA SOURCES, ONBOARDING RELEVANT EXTERNAL DATASETS, DOCUMENTING PROCESSES AND BEST PRACTICES, TESTING AND VALIDATING DATA, AND ENSURING THE DATA IS AVAILABLE FOR STAFF USE FOR REPORTING AND ANALYTICS.

APPROXIMATELY $167,000 WAS GRANTED TO SUPPORT EARLY LITERACY & CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS. THESE PROGRAMS INCLUDE RAISING A READER, SUPPORTING GRADE LEVEL READING, AND PRESCHOOL PLAY CLUB. RAISING A READER IS A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED PARENT ENGAGEMENT AND BOOK DELIVERY PROGRAM. KCLS PROVIDES DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE AND DIVERSE BOOKS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES, WHICH ARE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH COMMUNITY PARTNERS EACH WEEK. SUPPORTING GRADE LEVEL READING PARTNERS WITH SCHOOLS TO FOSTER A LOVE OF READING HAS PROVEN BENEFICIAL TO PARTICIPANTS AS THEY CONTINUE THROUGH THEIR EDUCATION. PRESCHOOL PLAY CLUB IS A KINDERGARTEN READINESS PROGRAM THAT WAS PILOTED AT THE WHITE CENTER LIBRARY TO HELP CHILDREN FROM THAT COMMUNITY TO SUCCEED IN KINDERGARTEN.THE OTHER PROGRAMS FUNDED TOTAL APPROXIMATELY $263,000, WHICH INCLUDES TEENS & TWEENS PROGRAM FOR $13,000, PRIME TIME FAMILY READING AND PRESCHOOL PROGRAM FOR $7,000, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FUND FOR $93,000 AND AGILITY FUNDING $150,000. AGILITY FUND INCLUDES UKRAINIAN COLLECTION ENHANCEMENT, SUMMER MEALS, ONLINE HIGH SCHOOL, LANGUAGE LINE, LIBRARY OPERATION LEADERSHIP TRAINING, MAV DRIVER'S COURSE, NEH CLIMATE ACTION PLAN MATCHING, AND RENTON LIBRARY RESOURCE DAYS.DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION (DEI) PROGRAMS WERE GRANTED APPROXIMATELY $105,000. THIS SET OF PROGRAMS ADVANCE DEI IN OUR COMMUNITIES IN A NUMBER OF WAYS. FIRST, THE AUTHORS OF COLOR PROGRAMS BRINGS BIPOC AUTHORS TO OUR COMMUNITIES TO SHARE THEIR STORIES. THE GOAL OF THE SERIES IS FOR ADULT READERS FROM ACROSS KING COUNTY TO SEE THEMSELVES AND THEIR LIVES REFLECTED IN KCLS'S AUTHOR PROGRAMS. NEXT, THE WELCOMING CENTER FOR NEW ARRIVALS AND SUPPORTING AFGHAN ARRIVALS PROGRAMS PROVIDE VARIOUS SERVICES TO SUPPORT IMMIGRANTS, REFUGEES, AND OTHER NEW MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITIES. THE PASIFIKA COLLECTION AND PLAZAS COMMUNITARIANS PROGRAMS PROVIDE UNIQUE COLLECTIONS OF BOOKS AND LITERACY PROGRAMS TO PACIFIC ISLANDER AND SPANISH-SPEAKING POPULATIONS, RESPECTIVELY. THE EASTSIDE LGBTQ YOUTH ADVISORY PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO ENGAGE AND SERVE LGBTQ YOUTH. LASTLY, A GRANT WAS AWARDED TO KCLS TO FUND A DEI ASSESSMENT, WHICH WILL HELP THE SYSTEM TO UNDERSTAND HOW IT CAN BETTER SERVE ITS DIVERSE COMMUNITIES.

KCLS SUMMER READING INCENTIVIZES CHILDREN, TEENS, AND ADULTS TO TAKE TIME TO READ IN THE SUMMER MONTHS. SUMMER READING MOTIVATES PEOPLE TO KEEP LEARNING OVER THE SUMMER, BUILDS COMMUNITY, AND ESTABLISHES THE LIBRARY AS A VALUED SPACE AND INFORMATION HUB FOR ALL AGES. THE SUMMER READING PROGRAM MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO REACH, SERVE, ENCOURAGE, AND REWARD READERS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE LIBRARY.

ADULT PROGRAMMING. A MAJORITY OF THIS AMOUNT SUPPORTED PEERS IN LIBRARIES. THIS PROGRAM CONNECTS PATRONS WHO HAVE BARRIERS TO GETTING THEIR BASIC NEEDS MET WITH SERVICES, SUPPORTS AND RESOURCES TO MOVE TOWARD STABILITY AND IMPROVED HEALTH. PEERS USE THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCE TO PROVIDE INDIVIDUALIZED SUPPORT, PRACTICE IN COMMUNITY MEETINGS, AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS. KCLS' EXTENDING SERVICES TO PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS PROGRAM INCREASES ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WHO EXPERIENCE BARRIERS TO UTILIZING LIBRARY BUILDINGS AND PROGRAMS DUE TO HOUSING INSTABILITY. THIS PROVIDES OUTREACH TO TENT CITIES, PROVIDING ROBUST EMPLOYMENT, INFORMATION, AND REFERRAL SERVICES VIA DEDICATED KCLS STAFF AND PEER NAVIGATORS UTILIZING THE BOOKMOBILE AND MOBILE COMPUTER LAB. IN ADDITION, THE INVEST IN YOURSELF PROGRAM PROVIDE SERVICES TO PATRONS WHO ARE SEEKING EMPLOYMENT AND BETTER CAREER OPPORTUNITIES. THIS PROJECT SUPPORTS ECONOMIC JUSTICE IN THE AREAS OF SMALL BUSINESS, JOBS, PERSONAL FINANCE, AND THE DIGITAL SKILLS NEEDED TO SUPPORT ALL THREE.