Through the generosity of this community, the DeKalb Library Foundation has reached its goal of raising $125,000 for a literacy program endowment, which will be matched with a gift of $125,000 from the Betty and Davis Fitzgerald Foundation in January 2010. DeKalb County Public Library literacy programs will now have permanent support thanks to the many individuals, corporations and foundations who contributed to this endowment.

This endowment supports important family literacy programs provided by the DeKalb County Public Library in partnership with community agencies and homeless shelters. Your support and contributions to these literacy programs helps make a difference in the lives of underserved adults and children in our community. Thank you for your contributions to build a more educated, literate DeKalb County.

DeKalb County Public Library Literacy Programs

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, students, 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. For more about these literacy programs, see the Spring 2008 Newsletter or the Literacy Services page.

• 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 and Prevent Child Abuse Georgia providing children's books for low income new parents and teen mothers to educate 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.

As these citizens become more literate, the DeKalb County Public Library provides an ideal gateway for their continued learning experiences offering English as a Second Language (ESL); adult learning and computer classes; plus a special learning collection to support literacy.