Dear Friend, This month is all about giving thanks – thanks for the people and places in our life that nurture and sustain us, and thanks for our many blessings. So many people are thankful for the Cambridge Public Library – whether it’s children getting their first library cards, immigrants taking free English classes, students finding respite in the historic reading room (pictured above), or unhoused families getting services from the library’s social worker. As we make our way toward the end of the calendar year, please consider expressing your gratitude for the library by joining us at an upcoming world-class event like DREAM BIG on December 8th, purchasing a book for Cambridge's Liberation Libraries, or by making a fully tax-deductible gift to the Library Foundation today or on Giving Tuesday (November 29). Thank you for your support. Katie Welch Foundation Director Please join us on December 8, 2022 for DREAM BIG, a special joint program of the Library Foundation and the Cambridge Public Library. This highly-anticipated annual event is finally returning after a two-year hiatus due to the global pandemic. This discussion will center around the reinvention of journalism to support democracy and a more equitable and sustainable world with the following luminaries:
Read more about these panelists and claim your tickets for the in-person program or livestream from home. This event is free for all. Buy a Book for the Liberation Libraries The Cambridge Public Library and the Library Foundation have joined with Porter Square Books to help fill Liberation Libraries across Cambridge. Stocked with a selection of books by Black and Brown authors, including titles for all ages, the Liberation Libraries honor the Black and Brown experience through literature. You can buy a book for the Liberation Libraries at Porter Square Books in person or by using this online wishlist and receive a 20% discount. Please enter the code LIBERATION2022 to apply the discount to your online order. The Liberation Libraries are a collaboration between My Brother’s Keeper Cambridge, the Mayor’s Office, and the Cambridge Public Library. blank SPACE Tuesday, November 29th Giving Tuesday is a movement that unleashes the power of radical generosity around the world! After being tested in so many ways over the past two years, the Cambridge Public Library is stronger than ever, supporting every member of our community and upholding democracy (the library hosted early voting at two branches, from October 22nd through November 4th. Now that's civic engagement!). Thank you to our generous donors -- and those making gifts for the first time -- our library is fortified for whatever lies ahead. If you believe in the power of libraries and in their importance to our community, please consider making your fully tax-deductible gift now, before the rush at the end of the year. We are deeply grateful for your support. JJJJ As you start your holiday shopping, don’t forget that turning your Amazon purchases into money for the library is as easy as smiling. AmazonSmile is a simple way to support the library at no cost to you. Instead of going directly to Amazon.com, try smile.Amazon.com, an Amazon website with the same pricing and shopping features. The difference is that when you shop on AmazonSmile, 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases goes straight to the charitable organization of your choice. On your first visit to AmazonSmile, select the Cambridge Public Library Foundation and use your regular account and password. The website will remember that you’ve selected the library, and every purchase you make will result in a donation. Thank you for your support! Have you enjoyed this newsletter? Please share it!
Dear Friend, This month we’re celebrating! It’s been one year since the library’s launch of its Fine Free initiative! Being Fine Free permanently reduces several barriers to access and services at the library, expanding social justice in Cambridge. We’re observing Teen Read Week from October 9 through 15, and if you haven’t been to the Teen Room at the Main Library, you’re in for a treat! Of course, October wouldn’t be complete without some spooky stories. Read on for our librarians’ top scary book picks. Click here for an update from the City of Cambridge, spotlighting the library's social worker and how she supports our most vulnerable residents. Finally, if you ever wonder how much the library saves you and your family, use this handy Library Value Calculator. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised! I look forward to seeing you soon at the library. Katie Welch Director Cambridge Libraries Are Fine Free!In recent years, more than 100 major libraries in North America have moved to a Fine Free model, representing a commitment to equitable and accessible service while increasing the number of users and books in circulation and reducing the amount of lost material. Cambridge joined these libraries in October 2021 with the launch of its Fine Free initiative. Studies have shown that low-income families view fines and fees as a deterrent to library use, and it’s clear that fines and fees disproportionately affect low-income families and neighborhoods. The Cambridge Public Library has not charged late fines on children’s and young adult items for many years, and patrons have continued to return those items. However, before the pandemic, if patrons had more than $10 in fines, they were barred from taking out materials. This impacted 5,700 card holders before the Fine Free initiative went into effect. You can read the initial Fine Free announcement from the library here. As part of the library’s Fine Free initiative, all overdue fines were cleared from patrons’ accounts, including bills for lost material. “What’s most important to us,” said Joy Kim, Deputy Director of Libraries, “is that all library patrons feel comfortable and confident making full use of what the library has to offer.” Read more from Deputy Director Kim on our blog. If you’d like to celebrate this milestone, consider making a donation to the Library Foundation, which provides support for the library's programs and services today, and is building an endowment for the challenges that lie ahead. |
AuthorThe Cambridge Public Library Foundation is dedicated to supporting the Cambridge Public Library and its programs that educate, inspire and respond to the needs of our diverse community. Archives
November 2022
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