Squeezed by tight budgets, ‘Giving Days’ are crucial for Southlake public library
The Library Foundation of Southlake, a non-profit organization that supports the public library through advocacy, donations and sponsorships, will kick off its multi-day Library Giving Days on April 6-13.
Originally the Library Giving Day was a one-day event held nationally on April 1, but Southlake will be holding the special event for one week with an online fundraiser for library programming and services.
The concept of “Giving Days” was started in North Texas last year and was headed by the Euless Public Library with 25 to 30 local libraries participating.
According to a statement from the foundation, a Southlake community member will match the first $2,500 of donations this year. The foundation helps the library with programming costs and sponsorships like the canvas bags that were handed out at the summer reading program.
“The Library Giving Days initiative provides a perfect opportunity for the surrounding community to support our Southlake Public Library and the myriad ways it serves our residents, young and old,” said Lori Burr, president of the Library Foundation of Southlake, in a statement.
Local sponsors of the event include H-E-B grocery stores, NBC5 and the Communities Foundation of Texas, which is covering all the online fees for the donations.
Burr told the Star-Telegram that budgets for local libraries are “fixed” and “tight,” and cities have not been able to increase funding. Local organziations like the Library Foundation of Southlake are stepping in to help.
“Every donation will help us provide wide-ranging services including a summer workshop for young writers, a winter Book Blizzard Bingo reading program and multiple upcoming Art and STEM classes for kids, tweens and teens.”