Impact Stories

With your help, DeKalb Coun­ty Pub­lic Library (DCPL) offers fun and engag­ing pro­grams for patrons of all ages. Par­tic­i­pants and staff love to share how Foun­da­tion-fund­ed pro­grams make an impact. 

Lego Clubs

LEGO CLUBS

Chil­dren express their imag­i­na­tion and cre­ativ­i­ty dur­ing the LEGO Clubs offered at many DCPL branch­es. In addi­tion to being fun, play­ing with LEGO devel­ops fine motor skills and spa­tial aware­ness. When chil­dren build in a group, they improve their social skills, such as shar­ing. At the Wes­ley Chapel-William C. Brown Library, LEGO Club par­tic­i­pants vote on which cre­ations to dis­play after each meet up. The vot­ing process helps the par­tic­i­pants think more about what they’re build­ing,” said Shaki­ra, youth ser­vices librar­i­an. It’s also fun to see them talk­ing about their build to oth­ers to drum up votes.”


Sewing Programs

SEWING PRO­GRAMS

Sewing builds cre­ativ­i­ty, devel­ops motor skills, and engages your brain! Many DCPL librar­i­ans teach sewing class­es, and they tai­lor their pro­grams to match the skills of each sew­er. Young chil­dren learn hand sewing and make orna­ments dur­ing the hol­i­day sea­son. Mid­dle school and high school stu­dents use sewing machines and cre­ate stuffed ani­mals and zip­per pouch­es. Adults and seniors make bunting, dec­o­ra­tive pil­low cov­ers, and quilts. Sewing also gen­er­ates a sense of accom­plish­ment and pride. I am a life­long learn­er,” said Joan, a reg­u­lar attendee. I learned how to sew a pil­low dur­ing one pro­gram. It made me so hap­py that I made one for every mem­ber of my family.”



Hotspot Program - Sarah

TAKE THE INTER­NET HOME WITH YOU INITIATIVE

The DeKalb Library Foun­da­tion funds close to 300 hotspot devices avail­able for check out across DeKalb Coun­ty Pub­lic Library’s 23 library loca­tions. More than 2,100 patrons ben­e­fit­ted from this ser­vice over the past year. In a recent sur­vey, more than 75% of respond­ing hotspot users shared they have lim­it­ed to no inter­net access in their homes. Patrons report­ed the hotspot pro­gram is invalu­able to them. Many use the devices so their chil­dren can stay con­nect­ed to school resources. Oth­ers use them to search for and main­tain employ­ment, attend vir­tu­al health­care appoint­ments, and stay con­nect­ed to friends and fam­i­ly. Sarah explained,​“I used to have to come to the library every day to read my emails. Now I’m able to check out a hotspot and a chrome book, so I do all this at home.” Tam­my shared,​“I know peo­ple think every­one has the inter­net but there are some of us who don’t. It is real­ly help­ful for us.”