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.
1000 Books Before Kindergarten
John’s mom, Stephanie, shared with us they started the 1000 Books program when John was three. He is four and a half now. He loves to read three to four books each night. His pre‑K teacher tells his mom that John is the first one to raise his hand during storytime to ask or answer questions. Stephanie said participating in the program made her more aware of how important it is to read together, and to read more. She said she may have only just read one book a night if she had not learned of the program. She says John often now requests five books a night! Stephanie is so glad the library offers this initiative as it keeps kids off phones and other technology and allows them to use their imagination.
She predicts John will complete 1000 books in the spring of 2025 well before starting Kindergarten!
Families record their progress either on paper logs provided in the starter kit or on Beanstack, DCPL’s electronic reading tracker. In 2024, there were 578 active families in Beanstack participating in 1000 Books Before Kindergarten and 39 families completed reading 1000 books in 2024.
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 1,900 patrons benefitted from this service over the past year. In our yearly survey, more than 80% of responding hotspot users shared they have limited to no internet access in their homes. Patrons also shared how important this service is to them: 100% of the respondents to the survey indicated the hotspot service makes a difference in their lives. Additionally, we spoke personally with many of the survey respondents, and they told us in detail just how impactful this initiative is to them and their families. Brenda shared: “The hotspot helped me to remain gainfully employed. I work from home, and I need to be able to connect to the internet. I would really be stretching my finances if I had to pay for the internet. The hotspot program is wonderful.” Yolanda was so excited to share her experience with us: “I was laid off, so I decided to go back to school. The hotspot allowed me to study and study and study. I was able to study on my lunch breaks and at night. I passed my tests! I would not have been able to do it otherwise.”