The DeKalb County Public Library provides family literacy services in DeKalb communities with the most critical needs. These family literacy programs develop emerging literacy and language skills in underserved adults and children in our community, benefiting immigrants, refugees, the homeless and low income new parents and babies. These crucial programs promote reading readiness for children, encourage family reading, and increase adult literacy levels and language skills.

The DeKalb Library Foundation has established a Literacy Program Endowment to support these literacy programs in perpetuity. The Literacy Endowment Campaign began in December 2007 with a generous matching challenge grant of $125,000 from the Fitzgerald Foundation awarded to the Literacy Program Endowment. The Foundation seeks support in the DeKalb community for the goal of raising the matching $125,000 by June 30, 2009. Your investment will be matched dollar for dollar when this goal is reached.

Please consider a gift to the Literacy Endowment Campaign

Donations can be mailed to the DeKalb Library Foundation, 215 Sycamore St., Decatur, GA, 30030. For more information about how you can help, call Donna Brazzell at 404-370-8450 ext. 2238, e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Thank you for your support and commitment to building a more educated and literate community.

Jackie Stradley, Executive Director of the Fitzgerald Foundation (second from left) received a warm "thank you" for the challenge grant to the literacy program endowment.

Joining in the celebration (l to r) are Nez Albuquerque, Children's Librarian Clarkston branch; Laura Hauser, Literacy Services Coordinator; DLF President Fred Turner; DLF Executive Director, Donna Brazzell and Library Director, Darro Willey.

Literacy Programs

This endowment will support important literacy programs provided by the DeKalb County Public Library in partnership with community agencies and homeless shelters:

• Project REAP (Reading Empowers All People) - an innovative program teaching immigrant and refugee families basic English skills.
• Project Horizon - family literacy program for children at homeless and transitional housing shelters and a daycare center.
• Family Reader's Club - collaborative program with DeKalb Medical Center providing children's books for new parents and educating them about the importance of reading to their children beginning at birth.
• Scottdale-Tobie Grant Homework Center - provides reading and homework assistance for school-age children.