Kincaid
Hey, Johnson County! My name is Colleen Kincaid, and I am the new development coordinator at the Johnson County Public Library. As the library’s liaison to the JCPL Foundation, I want to share with the public a bit about the wonderful work our foundation has been dedicated to this year.
The JCPL Foundation aims to provide supplemental funding to assist the library in promoting literacy throughout Johnson County. In 2023, the Foundation provided significant funding for more than 10 programs. Here are a few highlights:
- The Cultural Fair at the Clark Pleasant Branch provided the opportunity to sample food from various cultures, enjoy entertainment from around the world and meet new people.
- Lit Loot personalized literacy bags for teens engage them and help them become repeat JCPL visitors. The bags include several library items, crafts or swag and a book to keep.
- Kindergarten Readiness Bags help caregivers get their children ready for kindergarten. Each bag contains sidewalk chalk, bubbles, a book, children’s literacy activities and suggested reading lists.
- Celebrate Día is a festival celebrating children’s books from around the world. Library patrons read a well-known children’s book aloud in multiple languages, kids saw a live cultural performance and enjoyed snacks and crafts.
In 2024, the foundation plans to support Space Day, an opportunity for all ages to explore space by visiting a mobile planetarium that JCPL brings to Johnson County. This event provides learning opportunities about the solar eclipse, a chance to see vintage NASA equipment and even the opportunity to participate in a virtual reality experience. Space Day is just one of the many programs presented at no charge to Johnson County residents this upcoming year, thanks to foundation donors.
Those foundation donors are essential to JCPL’s ability to create even more fun and innovative programming in 2024. Your contribution to the JCPL Foundation’s annual fund supports new programs in 2024, including JCPL’s Teen Film Festival, a film contest for teens, and Library on the Prairie, a festival exploring pioneer life in Indiana.
Here are a few examples of what your support looks like in action. For $50, the foundation can provide craft supplies for 100 children. A $100 donation buys supplies for 20 Kindergarten Readiness Bags, while a $250 gift allows the foundation to buy 25 Lit Loot literacy bags for teens. For $500, the library can plan special performance art at a program.
To learn more about the JCPL Foundation or donate to the annual fund, visit JCPLF.org. Questions? Reach out to me at (463) 724-2840 or [email protected].
Colleen Kincaid is the development coordinator for the Johnson County Public Library. JCPL staff members share in writing this twice-monthly column for the Daily Journal. Send comments to [email protected].
