DeKalb Library Foundation Impact Report 2024

IMPACT REPORT

Supporting a Place to Grow

TheDeKalb Library Foundation supports the DeKalb County Public Library (DCPL)’s mission as a place to grow. Its funding makes an impact in so many ways allowing library staff to plan and offer special programs that would otherwise not exist. The Foundation funds the Take the Internet Home with You initiative, supplying all the mobile WiFi hotspots available for checkout across the county. The Foundation supports the annual Summer Reading Program with funds for books, incentives, and special programming which enriches the lives of more than 200,000 library visitors. The Foundation also enhances our work with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Strong4Life to ensure we have funds for Raising Resilience books and programming that foster resilience for children and families. The impact of our partnership is evident in the number of programs hosted and children or adults in attendance, but it is also found in the special connections our staff make each day with community members. The stories and examples in this report provide a glimpse into how the library and DeKalb Library Foundation work together to support the community.

Alison Weissinger Library Director

Lastyear, approximately 1,000 individuals supported one or more of our annual campaigns in April, September, and December helping us raise more than $400,000. Compared to the Library’s overall budget, these funds may seem modest, but they make a big impact. The Foundation proudly operates a budget in which 80% of the funds directly support library programming. More than 2,100 community members gained internet access in their homes; more than 8,000 children and adults participated in Foundation funded library programs; and thousands of community members saw the ten billboards and bus shelter ads the Foundation helped the library place across the county. The impact is also apparent on the smiles of the faces of eager readers enjoying a new book or program participants learning a new skill. We would not be able to assist the library without your support.

Tim Martin DeKalb Library Foundation President

Discover More at DCPL

More than 160,000 cardholders

23 Library locations

More than 1.2 million items to borrow

More than 4,400 programs for children, teens, and adults

More than 1,000 computers, Chromebooks, or hotspot devices for public use or check out

Supporting Laughter and Learning

On any given day, you’re likely to walk into the Embry Hills Library and find laughter and learning in programs hosted by Erica Luke, senior library specialist for youth services at Embry Hills Library. Ms. Erica, as she is affectionately called, offers everything from book clubs and storytimes to coping skills and crafting classes. She also hosts weekly meet ups with homeschooled students so they can socialize and learn together. Erica’s programs are popular and families know to register when a program opens because they fill up quickly.

In 2023, the Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS) recognized Erica as a special nominee for the GPLS Employee of the Year award, noting that Erica “received many nominations from patrons who all emphasized her creative, welcoming, and caring nature.” The Georgia Library Association also highlighted Erica’s accomplishments by selecting her for the Library Support Services Award, given to a library support professional who has made outstanding contributions to Georgia libraries. One nominator said, “I will forever be thankful for my daughter’s absolute excitement to go to the library and the love of reading that Erica Luke instilled in my child!”

Supporting a Sense of Belonging

Doris

K. Wells blazed a trail as DeKalb County’s first African American librarian. She loved to read and dreamed of bringing together readers to promote the work of African American authors. Doris and her daughter Tami realized this dream by creating the Jubilee of Reading Book Club conference in 2001 at the Wesley Chapel-William C. Brown Library. They invited local book clubs and reading enthusiasts to meet authors and discuss books. As word of the event spread, it attracted book clubs from around the state, and the event grew in attendance and offerings. “It’s always the highlight of my year,” said Lucy, a 23rd annual Jubilee of Reading Book Club Conference attendee.

“It’s an event that allows me to hear, see, and mingle with those who share my enjoyment of the written word,” said Florence, a regular attendee. “I especially enjoy listening to authors whose work I have not read.” The program now hosts several authors who present their work, discuss the writing process, and answer audience questions. Bestselling authors such as Pearl Cleage, Daniel Black, Mary Morrison, and Victoria Christopher Murray have been featured at the event. “Many attendees find their new book club,” said Myguail Chappel, DCPL’s library take-out services manager. “Jubilee of Reading gives people a sense of community.”

Supporting Pride in Ownership

DCPL shelves offer thousands of titles to check out, but we know there is also a sense of pride in owning books. That’s why a number of DCPL programs provide books to participants to build their own personal libraries.

• 1000 Books Before Kindergarten puts board books in the hands of parents and caregivers to encourage reading early and often with babies and young children. Families receive a book when they sign up for the program and at milestones during their reading journey.

• At the Decatur Library, young patrons can join the Eager Readers book club at the age of five and progress through four other age appropriate clubs until they graduate from high school, building a nice library of their own.

• At the Hairston Crossing Library, teens can join the Rainbow Reads Book Club which features LGBTQ+ authors or characters.

• Children and teens aren’t the only ones who enjoy book clubs. DCPL hosts monthly book discussions at senior centers, apartments, and online. Adult participants also receive book copies of their own.

“The

library has always been a safe place for me. Looking forward to the monthly book club meetings held me up a lot of the times.”

—DCPL book club participant

DCPL also brings a love of literacy to community gatherings. The Stone Mountain-Sue Kellogg Library partners with the City of Stone Mountain during holiday events such as Trunk or Treat and the Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting. Librarians visit with families to share information about library programs and services, and they bring plenty of books for all ages. Children like to look through the selections and take one home as a treat.

Growing the Impact

More than 2,100 individuals access the internet in their home on a DCPL hotspot

More than 5,000 books provided to children, teens, and adults in the community

Raising Resilience books checked out more than 5,000 times

20% Fundraising and Operations Foundation expenses in 2023

Programmatic

Many thanks to the following individuals and organizations for supporting us at the various Circles of Giving levels in 2023.

Literati Circle

Anonymous

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

DeKalb County

Frances Wood Wilson Foundation

LuluMa Foundation

Li Liu and Conor McNally

Mary Allen Lindsey Branan

Mind Bubble

Save The Libraries Foundation

The Imlay Foundation

Scholars Circle

Atlanta Foundation

Jan Carter

Decatur Rotary Club

Friends of the Dunwoody Library

Georgia Humanities

Kernwat Charitable Fund

Bruce and Barbara Ribner

Kristine Rudolph

Stephanie Weishaar

Moira and Alan Wilson

Publishers Circle

Anonymous

A. S. Turner & Sons, Inc.

Kenneth and Lori Lynn

Avirett-Mackenzie

Denise and Scott Bailey

Susan Barrett

Natalie Bernstein

Jonathan and Liz Block

Jennifer Carver

Jonathan Chaires

Mildred Cody

CONA Services LLC

Thomas Alex Cooper

Harold and Sandra Dickerson

Mary Ann Dodd

Connie Downing

Catherine Fike

Scott and Sara Fowler

Diana Getz and Carl Mitchell

Theresa Gillespie

Margaret Graff and Richard Higgins

Sharon Gridley

Anne-Marie Happe

Angela Huynh and Richard Bakare

Johnson & Johnson

Nancy Jordan

Vicki Karnes and Beth Lotterhos

Laura Chaires Lindeman

Peter Lindsay and Kate Binzen

Molly and Scott Marrah

Scott McAuley

Maria Mirabelli

Michele NeSmith

Northern New York Library Network

Party Animals Atlanta

Deepa Patel

Guy and Charlotte Pfeiffer

Lynne Pickens

Marion Reynolds Powell

Arthur Ratliff

Thompson Rawls

Charlotte Redo

Elizabeth and Matthew Rose

Ted Rubenstein

Albert and Karen Skellie

Brittany Summers

Chad Swanson

James and Anne Topple

Stephanie Van Parys

Alison and Chris Weissinger

Angela White

Pamela Woodley and Perry Mitchell

Authors Circle

Friends of Chamblee Library

Alvaro Alonso

Patricia Bauer

John Bennett

Kevin Brill

Julie Childs

Naomi Clark

Community Center of South Decatur

Larry and Lois Curry

Wallace Daniel

Doug and Christine Davis

Carmen Deedy and John McCutcheon

Alice Domby

Francine Dykes

Nancy Franklin

Charlie Gibson

Barbara Gifford

Annie Godfrey and Jack Kittle

Andrew Godfrey-Kittle

Cathy Godwin

Bonnie Greene

Bobby and Charlene Gross

Esther Harbert

Susanne Howe

Nancy and Edward Hudgins

Carolyn and Rob Johnson

Clay and Shannon Johnson

Randall and Amy Kirsch

Catherine Lautenbacher

Laura Lones

Susan and Bradley Malemezian

Aimee Cox Malik

Tim Martin

Ryan and Sarah Mauldin

Lesley McClure

Peggy Merriss

Carol Morgan

Vee Nelson

Edith Padgette

Jeffrey Paris

Pamela Privette

Debra and Scott Pyron

Louise Reaves

Shara and Garrett Sanders

William and Jan Selman

Maudann Shugart

Chris Sidor

Cheryl and Anthony

Strickland

Michael Thun and Lynne Moody

Christine Tryba-Cofrin

Anita Wathen-Brownlee

Heidi Wolfgruber

Readers Circle

Kathryn Adams

Thomas and Marianne Adams

Dwayne Angelo

Carrie Armistead

Elise Ashpole

Antoine and Frances Ayoub

Ellen Bailey

Susan Baker

Janie and Harold Banks

Cynde Beckner

Claudia Bennett

Patricia Bevel

Prashant Bhat

Julie Binney

Jenni and Dana Blankenhorn

Brainfuse, LLC

Karen Briggs

Jamie Aviendha Calderon

Jennifer Casarella

Christi Cassel and Bryan Skeen

Patricia Chmiel

Felix Chu

Karen Cobham-Owens

Evelyn Collazo

Perry Collins

Laura Curns

Emma Dawson

Portia and Charlie Dischinger

Dunwoody Woman’s Club

Cindy Evans

Bruce and Mary Powell Evatt

Edwin Ewing

Charlene Fang

Claudia Fedarko and Stephen Hadler

Tanya Frazee

Mary Garrett

Elizabeth Hannapel

Tom Hardy

Kristen Nichols Heitman

Amanda Hensley

Lucy and Alan Hinman

Susan and Chris Hodges

Charles Edward Holmes

Elizabeth Jackson-Jordan

Jill Joplin

Judith and Leslie Klemperer

Ann Lanner

John Lawrence

Brenda Leder

Shirley Lee

Lockheed Martin

Tyler Long

Cameron Love

Geraldine Luttrell

Delores Malvitz

Kathleen McHugh

Evelyn Menne

Doyle and Pat Mote

Mark Murovitz

New York Life

Anne Nicolson

Marie and Eric Nitschke

Emily Novicki

Francis Petrus

Patricia Pharo

Roger and Joanna Quillen

Kimberli Rodrigues

Ann and Steve Rushing

Constance Sandidge

Todd SanMillan

Hugh Saxon

Carran Schneider

Susan Small

Jalisa Smith

Peter Smith

Kiesha Storey

Ryan Paul Thayer

William Thomas

Debbie Torbush

Laura Usselman

Kate Velasquez

Cathy and Steve Vogel

Jill Warner

Wanda Wenger

George and Judy Wieder

Ed and Sarah Wiley

Darro and Huyen Willey

Michael Williams

Margaret and John Willingham

Michael Witten

Pamela Wuichet

2024 DeKalb County Public Library Board of Trustees

Deborah Jackson, Co-Chair

Carol Morgan, Co-Chair

Jose Paniagua, Treasurer

Carrie Armistead

Bettye Davis

Cynthia Dunn

Sara Fountain

Joel Gottlieb

Herbert McCoy

Michael Thurmond

Zachary Williams

2024 DeKalb Library Foundation Board of Directors

Tim Martin, President

Shara Sanders, Immediate Past-President

Elisabeth Nark, Vice-President

Chad Swanson, Treasurer

Kia Billingsley

Jonathan Block

Christina McPhillips

Molly Marrah

Maria Mirabelli

dekalblibraryfoundation.org

Michele NeSmith

Charlotte Redo

Pam Ryan

Kiesha Storey