Uncategorized – San Jose Public Library Foundation

Every week, librarian Randall Studstill leads storytime activities in the community room of the San José Public Library’s (SJPL) West Valley Branch. A gaggle of toddlers appear once the doors open, and they crowd around Randall with questions left and right. They’re curious, spirited, and excited to learn.

As parents settle in their seats and enjoy a period of rest, the sessions begin with follow-along songs and chants. However, before storytime begins, it’s routine for Randall to flip through and advocate for a slideshow of summer programs. Most notably, Summer Learning.

Paul Wilson, SJPL Librarian and Summer Learning Program Lead

“I tell them every single week about Summer Learning,” Randall said. Simply by people participating and spreading awareness, the Summer Learning program has thrived for over 15 years. It’s undergone numerous name changes and rebrands, but the overall skeleton remains the same: the Summer Learning annual reading program hosted by the San Jose Public Library to encourage people of all ages to continue reading throughout the summer. Participants log up to eight books or eight hours on Beanstack to enter themselves as contestants for a variety of prizes.

For younger children, Summer Learning prevents the “summer slide” phenomenon. “Educators talk about, for example, a second grader: when they start third grade, they lose about three or four months of reading progress because they’re not reading during the summer,” Randall explained. “The program is to encourage reading so that doesn’t happen.”

If the idea of winning some prizes is encouraging you to sign up for Beanstack this summer, you are not alone. Summer Learning increased in popularity this past summer: “We’ve had higher sign ups this year than we had in years past,” Paul Wilson, also a librarian and director of Summer Learning, said.

By completing Summer Learning, participants have the opportunity to win a grand prize.“We give away about 125 total grand prizes in different categories by age,” Paul said.

This year, grand prizes for each age category include a toy projector (ages 0-5), a portable soccer equipment set (5-10), a space projector and rocket lamp (10-12), a record player (12-18) and a travel coffee and tea kettle (18+). If you’re interested, the summer’s not over yet, and neither is Summer Learning!

A committee meets regularly to decide the prizes of Summer Learning. “They usually have a good time with it,” Wilson said. The only restrictions for the prizes are they must be education related and they have a price point of $50-$75 per prize. Every summer, each age category has five winners. Now that’s a lot of prizes!

But how does the San José Public Library afford that many prizes?

In partnership with the SJPL’s Summer Learning, the Foundation supports Read to Raise, a fundraiser for participants of Summer Learning to have their friends and family support their read-a-thon journey.

Read to Raise started only a few years ago as a means to fund Summer Learning. Paul explained: “We wanted a way to support the program in the absence of city funding because we only get a small amount of annual fund from the city, but it’s usually not enough for the summer programs and for the summer reading program.”

“This is the third time around that we’ve done it, and it’s earned us about 8,000 total dollars,” Wilson said. Read to Raise donations massively support Summer Learning’s budget, supporting amazing prize possibilities and fueling the popularity of the program.

Reading is a calm activity, but the thought of winning prizes sparks excitement and motivation among younger crowds. Randall explained, “The prizes motivate the kids to do [the program]. As they do it, they learn along the way, ‘oh yeah, this is enjoyable.’”

He added that “a lot of the success of Summer Learning has a lot to do with parental involvement. I tell the parents that storytime is for all ages, so hopefully you can sign up and read together as a family.”

Libraries bring people together in families, neighborhoods, and cities. Consequently, Paul encourages anyone and everyone to participate in Summer Learning. “The library is a hub of the community, a gathering place, as well as a place to learn, have fun, and stay engaged with the surrounding community for all ages,” he said. “I would hope that the program would just boost awareness and appeal of the library as a community meeting place, and encourage people to learn and stay engaged with the city and the neighborhood that the library is part of.”

learn more about summer learning learn more about our impact

Written by Jillian Cheng, Communications Intern

ARTrepreneurs: Teen Craft Fair at King Library - July 2025

The TeenHQ at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library was bustling with eagerness on the afternoon of July 26, 2025. Handmade products, from crocheted chickens to fidget toys, were lined neatly on multiple different stands, and they were selling out fast. Most notably, the sellers behind these stands weren’t entrepreneurs with full-time jobs. They were ARTrepeneurs, also known as teenagers on summer break.

Jessica Lundin, the program leader, explained: “ARTrepeneurs started out as a a grant that we got through the California State Library to try and get teens interested in starting small businesses or doing arts as a career path.”

Through the help of the San José Public Library Foundation, the library additionally received support to collaborate with WeThrive, a program providing seed funding and an entrepreneurship curriculum to teach youth how to start their own business.

ARTrepreneurs Program Participant Vendor Table

These partnerships culminated in the Teen ARTrepeneur summer program. In the first month, students would come to four sessions in total and hone their entrepreneurial skills. The second was spent creating their products. Finally, a marketplace event marked the end of the program, where teens gained experience pitching and selling their products.

The library provided many resources for teens to explore their projects, many of which were found in the Makerspace of TeenHQ. “Some people used our button makers, some people used our resident supplies,” Jessica detailed. “They had access to our 3D printers and our poster printer.”

Additionally, every teenager had access to seed funding: “They get $75 to spend on supplies so that they have basically a start for their business,” Jessica said.

Most recently, the ARTrepeneur Teen Pop-up Market held at the King Library was a booming success. As a beginner opportunity for teens to promote and sell their products, the market proved to be a valuable experience for many.

“It’s been great to start a business and start making money that I can save and spend,” a participant of the program said. “I’ve been used to selling through my mom’s Facebook account, and this is the only in-person event I get to do. The program definitely teaches you how to sell and approach customers, and also how to price your products.”

Programs like Teen ARTrepeneurs inspire youth to fulfil their wildest dreams by providing them with the resources and the path to do so. Thanks to the initial funding of the Foundation, the opportunity to become an ARTrepeneur is available every summer.

learn more about how we promote diverse arts & culture

Written by Jillian Cheng, Communications Intern

Laura Randall, SJPL Adult Literacy & ESL Volunteer

Laura is a retired physical science and math tutor. Yet week after week, in her free time, she continues tutoring at the San José Public Library. Not physics, or math, or anything STEM related at all. She teaches English.

Laura volunteers as a tutor for Adult Literacy and ESL, a free program at the San José Public Library. Supported by the San José Public Library Foundation, the program educates adults with an array of skills needed to thrive in Silicon Valley, from reading and writing in English to critical thinking and life skills. In particular, Laura focuses on conversational skills.

Laura is not new to volunteer work. “[Volunteering] almost all of my life is something that my family did because they didn’t have money to do anything else to help out,” she explained. “I had been volunteering previous years in other organizations including the school from which I retired. I would work with ESL students or non-native adults who had never learned to read and were working on it.”

She explained that becoming an English tutor for the library was simple: “The training program for both the [Adult] Literacy and the ESL program through the library is excellent.” Laura said, “They’ll teach you the best practices. They provide you with all the materials that they think you need, and any materials that you don’t have. They will also try to accommodate your schedule.”

A dedicated volunteer at the San Jose Public Library, Laura knows all her students very well. She regularly meets with Brisa and Alma together. Off the top of her head, she can instantly recall many details of both their lives.

Brisa, 23, has lived in America for almost three years now. “She is married and has no kids. She comes from Tijuana,” Laura said. “She still has family there. She is also a high school graduate and was quite literate in Spanish.”

Alma is in her forties and comes from Guadalajara, Mexico, where her family lives. “She has one son who I believe goes to second grade this year,” Laura said. “She does not work outside the home. She does help ladies with their [nails] from time to time, but her husband works as a landscape worker.”

Adult Literacy & ESL Volunteer Appreciation Night 2024

In her lessons with Brisa and Alma, Laura starts every session with conversation. She explained, “I usually meet with two or three individuals together. We’re learning to ask questions now, so they ask each other questions. Or if there’s been a major event in their lives, they want to talk about that and share.”

After an initial conversation, they turn to textbooks. “We have an interesting set of text materials to use which we skip around in to make more effective,” Laura said.

At the end of each lesson, her students will often have unique requests. Most recently, Brisa got her Green Card to visit her mother in Tijuana, but was “frightened about coming back into the United States through immigration and [responding to] the questions they would ask.”

Laura said, “We spent three weeks working ahead of time with all of the ladies on what kind of questions could you expect from immigration.”

As an ESL tutor, Laura must come up with many strategies to keep her students engaged while teaching practical vocabulary. “I think of teaching as having a gigantic bag of tricks,” she said while laughing. “You need a lot of different kinds of things to do, to work well with individual learning. I like pictures and real objects if we can. I like us to move around if we can.”

She added, “We tend to learn better if we’re learning something we like. I can teach you a speech from Abraham Lincoln, but do you really want to know that yet?”

Working with Brisa and Alma, Laura has been with them every step of their English learning journey. “The most striking thing [to see] is their confidence level and the pride with which they try their English out in the community,” Laura said. “When Brisa started with me two and a half years ago, she had no English at all. But I think that the confidence and knowing that they can, Alma will now meet with her principal and doesn’t always request a translator. She’s so proud of that. They just blossom.”

Most importantly, forming a close bond with her students is what keeps Laura coming back to tutor at the San Jose Public Library. “You establish a camaraderie,” she said. “It’s a pleasure to see people grow, not just learning the English, but grow as citizens and as people who will be in the community and want to be involved in the community.”

Becoming involved in American society is difficult without effective communication. “In order to engage and participate fully in a democracy, you need to be able to speak and understand the language,” she said. “You want people to be able to live, to have a career, or to be able to be a respected member of their communities.”

Volunteers like Laura power the Adult Literacy and ESL program at the San José Public Library, and by learning from these volunteer tutors, non-native English speakers are able to achieve their goals, speak with confidence, and wholly express themselves.

Adult Literacy & ESL provides an individualized education to enrich the lives of adults to achieve their personal and professional goals through reading, writing, critical thinking, technology, life skills, and English language learning. Participants are paired with a tutor who provides them with one-on-one support to help them meet personalized goals. Click below to learn more about the program or to become a volunteer tutor today.

learn more about the program become a volunteer tutor

Written by Jillian Cheng, Communications Intern

When Mariana first stepped into the Resilience Corps (RC) program last August, she had no idea what to expect.

The Resilience Corps is a paid job training program administered by the San José Public Library and supported by the San José Public Library Foundation, the Youth Service Corps, and other philanthropic grants. The RC program is designed to provide young adults looking to explore different career paths with job experience and networking opportunities.

SJPLF CEO Dr. Dawn Coppin speaking at Resilience Corps 2025 graduation ceremony

As a recent first generation college graduate, Mariana was in the midst of searching for a job when she was introduced to the RC program. “It wasn’t until my dad had shared a job opportunity with me through the SJPL Foundation that I felt like things were finally moving for me,” she said.

One after another, she completed her interview, then her training, then she began her work with the Resilience Corps (RC) at the Educational Park Library.

As a Resilience Corps Associate (RCA), she supported kids from K-8 in afterschool education and extracurriculars, while also learning professional skills such as program development, leadership, and presentation.

Mariana speaking at Resilience Corps 2025 graduation ceremony

Through her job, she met with a diverse pool of learners and their households. “I met different families,” she said. “Families that wanted their kids to succeed in every way. Families that wanted their kids to have fun, and families that just wanted their kids to grow up appreciating educators and the education they are receiving.”

Mariana discovered that her role as a teacher encompassed being a mentor, friend, and supporter to her students. Not only could she feel the impact she had on her students, but also their families. “This experience changed so much for me,” Mariana shared. Through her time as an RCA, Marianna gained a “newfound appreciation for education outside of a school setting.”

Resilience Corps 2025 graduation ceremony

The RC program additionally built a foundation for her to comfortably and confidently explore job opportunities to launch her career. “Becoming an RCA opened doors for me that I had no idea were even possible,” she said. “I was lucky enough to represent all the RCAs and speak with the mayor during a conference. I got to network with Apple and Apple educators to talk about their journeys into education, and I got to meet amazing people who have been nothing short of supportive.”

Her work in the library led her to ultimately return to school to get her Master’s in Library and Information Sciences. “I would have not been able to come to this decision without being able to see firsthand what it was like to give back to my community through the library,” she said. “I hope that the next cohort enjoys it as much as I did.”

learn more about the resilience corps program watch mariana's graduation speech

Written by Jillian Cheng, Communications Intern

In the Community Room of the Edenvale Branch Library, pipe cleaners and cardboard scraps become elementary school children’s best friends. While the teachers and volunteers can manage the students’ excitement, they can’t limit their creativity. With funding support from the San José Public Library Foundation (SJPLF), this three-day Digital Discovery Workshop held at eight different San José Public Library branches fosters a fun, hands-on environment for learning about the digital world.

Using iPads and robots provided by the library, the children can dip their toes into aspects of robotics and technology. In a controlled classroom environment, the teacher encouraged his students to let loose and explore. The learners were quick to show off their bites of code with each other, along with tricks their robot companions did.

“I like the hands-on learning. We actually get to play around with the apps. We learned about coding robots and 3D modeling. It’s fun.” -Participant

Recently, the Edenvale Branch invited educators from The Tech Interactive to teach a workshop on gravity-powered cars. The challenge: building a car that can roll down a ramp without glue, tape, or scissors. The materials provided—cardboard, wheel axles, pipe cleaners, and more—were all recycled from past activities. Additionally, elementary-aged children must think outside the box to send their car rolling, using rubber bands to hold together vehicles and wooden planks as makeshift hammers.

For each day of the Digital Discovery Workshop, eight hours morphs into a fun exploration of the vast tech world enveloping the Bay Area while also providing the students with a toolkit to create or code their wildest ideas.

To learn more about how SJPLF prioritizes digital empowerment as a focus area and how you can support the impact, visit sjplf.org/DigitalEmpowerment.

Learn more about Digital Discovery Workshops See photos from the workshop

Written by Jillian Cheng, Communications Intern

The San José Public Library (SJPL) is one of only eleven public libraries nationwide to receive a $500,000 grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York to launch a transformative two-year programming initiative that expands SJPL’s English as a Second Language (ESL), college, and career readiness programs.

“This grant reinforces the vital role our library plays in opening doors to education, job opportunities, and lifelong learning,” said City Manager Jennifer Maguire. “It’s an honor to be the only library in the San Francisco Bay Area to be recognized across the country and we take pride in knowing that this funding will help San José lead the way in building a more inclusive and empowered community.”

This grant, part of the “Libraries as Pillars of Education and Democracy” initiative, will allow SJPL to enhance and expand existing programming, which currently serves 13,000 individuals annually, launch new workforce development, college readiness, and financial literacy services, and support an additional 2,000 San José residents as they pursue their educational and career goals.

“San José is a city full of innovators — and now, 2,000 more people, mostly our teens and English language learners, will be able to access the skills and training to succeed,” said Mayor Matt Mahan. “We’re proud that the San José Public Library has received this national recognition — and with it, an investment that will strengthen our city’s workforce and boost educational attainment across our community.”

With the support of the Carnegie Corporation, SJPL will:
• Expand ESL programming with a new workforce-focused curriculum designed to help adult learners improve their English skills, job readiness, and confidence.
• Launch a college and career readiness pipeline for teens, offering post-secondary education workshops, college affordability and financial literacy training, and near-peer mentorships.
• Distribute 100 computing devices to low-income participants and integrate digital skills training for ESL learners and young adults.
• Engage education and workforce stakeholders to strengthen cross-sector partnerships and better align services.

“Libraries offer open doors to knowledge and self-empowerment,” said Jill Bourne, City Librarian. “With support from the Carnegie Corporation, San José libraries will expand and deepen the city’s educational and career opportunities for youth and adults – opportunities that give our residents the transformational power to chart a new future for themselves and their families.”

The grant comes at a pivotal time for San José. Despite Silicon Valley’s economic success, many residents face significant challenges. Over 65,000 residents speak English less than “very well,” and more than 54,000 young adults in the city have no education beyond high school. A recent San José Youth Commission survey also found that only 15% of teens were aware of the available college and career resources. Additionally, the high cost of living, limited access to
affordable educational resources, and gaps in broadband and technology access continue to disproportionately affect families, especially in underserved neighborhoods.

“The San José Public Library Foundation is thrilled that Carnegie Corporation is resuming their investment in our public libraries. This grant is a vote of confidence that recognizes libraries’ role in empowering our communities from one of the leading philanthropic entities. Andrew Carnegie’s commitment to the power of libraries lives on through this award, which will touch the lives of nearly 15,000 San José residents in transformative ways,” said Dr. Dawn Coppin, CEO San José Public Library Foundation.

The Carnegie Corporation of New York was established by Andrew Carnegie, who also funded the construction of more than 2,500 libraries worldwide. SJPL proudly operates one of them – the East San José Carnegie Library, built in 1908 – which remains the only operational Carnegie-built library in Santa Clara County.

To learn more about the Library’s ESL, college, and career readiness programs, visit www.sjpl.org.

About the San José Public Library
San José Public Library (SJPL) is located in the heart of Silicon Valley and in the nation’s 12th largest city. SJPL serves a culturally diverse population of nearly one million and has nearly 750,000 library members. In addition to providing award-winning library services, SJPL proudly leads the City’s Education and Digital Literacy Strategy and the City’s SJ Access digital empowerment initiative. For more information, please visit sjpl.org.

About the City of San José
With nearly one million residents, San José is the largest city in the Bay Area and one of the nation’s most diverse and creative. San José’s transformation into a global innovation center in the heart of Silicon Valley has resulted in the world’s greatest concentration of technology talent and development.

About Carnegie Corporation of New York
Carnegie Corporation of New York was established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding. Today the foundation works to reduce political polarization through philanthropic support for the issues that Carnegie considered most important: education, democracy, and peace.

About San José Public Library Foundation
The San José Public Library Foundation supports educational programs and resources through the public library, schools, and community-based organizations, to create an educated, equitable, empowered and engaged community.

As a mother to two young children myself, I’d like to share what libraries have meant to me.

When my family first moved to San José three years ago with two children under the age of three, we didn’t know anyone. At home with the kids all day, I relied on our public libraries to keep us entertained and engaged in learning. We drove all over town checking out library events, attending storytimes, and borrowing books. Over time, I began to make friends and build community, finding the connection I desperately needed in a new town. It’s a chapter of our lives filled with special memories all thanks to the San José Public Library.

This Mother’s Day, as you honor a mom in your life, consider donating to the San José Public Library Foundation in her name. If we receive your gift of $25 or more by May 1, we will send a Mother’s Day card notifying her of your gift (within U.S. only).

On behalf of moms throughout San José, thank you for supporting our libraries. Your gift is making a difference. We thank you.

Sincerely,
Marly Young
Community Giving Manager
San José Public Library Foundation

send a mother's day card

Photo by Gabrielle Henderson on Unsplash

Around 60% of Americans haven’t created a will or any other estate planning documents, and only about 37% of U.S. adults have completed any type of advance directive for end-of-life care, such as a living will or healthcare power of attorney. We invite you to consider these important questions:

Who do you want to receive your assets?
Have you made decisions around finances?
Do you want to support SJPLF through our legacy?

Estate planning empowers individuals with financial security and control over their assets and how they are transferred to loved ones. Learn about the various estate planning methods, including wills and trusts, and understand the costs associated with each decision. Your estate encompasses everything you own – from real estate and investments to vehicles and personal property. Implementing an estate plan is crucial for proactively deciding asset distribution and ensuring your wishes are followed, providing peace of mind in the face of unexpected events. SJPLF moves proactively within the City of San José through the twenty-five San José Public Library locations to bring philanthropic power to their communities, which includes ensuring that community members are given proper resources and knowledge to create an estate plan that protects their possessions and their loved ones.

What most people might not realize is that without an estate plan, the state has the power to assign someone to handle your business if you are suddenly incapable of doing so. If there is no estate plan to specify an individual’s wishes, then the state will decide what happens with your belongings. This often might not align with what one intended, so specifying how your assets should be distributed among your heirs or beneficiaries to align with your intentions is why estate planning matters immensely.

Estate planning covers crucial areas like asset distribution, seamless business succession planning, and strategies to minimize family disputes and avoid probate. Avoiding probate ensures your assets pass directly to your beneficiaries efficiently. A primary goal of estate planning is to protect and secure the care of loved ones in unforeseen circumstances. For example, estate planning allows for the appointment of a guardian for minor children to manage their inheritance until they reach adulthood. Thoughtful estate planning considers unique potential circumstances, associated costs, and their consequences. Furthermore, strategic estate planning can minimize estate taxes, gift taxes, capital gains taxes, and income taxes for both the estate and its beneficiaries. Ultimately, estate planning is meant to give you peace of mind for when difficult times do surface so that you can focus on your situation stress-free knowing that you already made important decisions ahead of time.

The Foundation also recognizes that estate planning may appear to be a foreign and daunting task. With our partner, FreeWill, you can create your plans in just 20 minutes online and protect the people and causes you love. This free tool not only helps you to protect your loved ones and assets, but also helps you support our collective will to make our city as equitable as it is diverse for years to come.

Create my free will

On June 3rd, we are hosting a FREE workshop, Estate Planning for Everyone, from 3 PM to 4 PM at the Cambrian Branch Library (1780 Hillsdale Ave, San Jose, CA 95124). This event is perfect for individuals and families seeking peace of mind and financial security. Featuring guest speakers

• Maris Martinson (Estate Planning Attorney at Berliner Cohen)
• Xiomara Vielman (Financial Advisor, Clarity Financial Management)
• Rosie Cofre (SJPLF Epilogue Society Member)

These industry experts will provide invaluable tips, advice, insights, and resources.

Whether you’re starting your estate planning journey or looking to refine your existing plan, join us for light refreshments as our expert speakers provide invaluable insights.

Regardless of your net worth or age, estate planning offers significant benefits for everyone. It saves time, reduces stress, and conserves financial resources for both you and your loved ones, while ensuring the legacy you envision is preserved. Understanding the importance and process of estate planning provides peace of mind, greater control over your assets, and empowers you to support cherished causes like the San José Public Library Foundation through charitable bequests and trusts. Competent and confident estate planning allows you to move beyond basic planning to create a lasting legacy that you and your family can be proud of. We invite you to learn more at our Estate Planning for Everyone workshop and thank you for considering the San José Public Library Foundation in your estate planning.

Support SJPLF in your legacy today RSVP to our free estate planning workshop

In a partnership between the San José Public Library Foundation and San José Public Library, we are excited to announce our new College and Career Pathways Fellow, Daniel Lockett. The position, generously funded through Comcast, will help graduates of Library programs such as Career Online High School as they transition from academic programs into higher education and meaningful careers. A first-generation college student and graduate himself, Daniel will work to connect graduates with critical resources such as college counselors, career mentors, and professional development opportunities, to help them achieve their post-graduation goals. This important work will ensure San José residents have the support they need to take the next step in their education and careers.

What interested you about this role?

I applied for this role because it gave me the opportunity to make an impact on my community. One of the hardest and loneliness things someone can experience is navigating education without the proper support system, which often leads to people giving up. The Career Online High School program offers community members another chance at obtaining their high school diploma, regardless of their reason for not having one. This role gives me the ability to have a direct impact within the program by providing resources and knowledge to the COHS students and alumni that I wish I knew about.

As a recent graduate yourself, what professional support do you wish you had?

As a recent graduate, I wish I had a mentor or advisor that could’ve guided me through obtaining internships, networking, or building a professional portfolio. As it goes for most first – generation students or graduates, I was pretty much thrown into the fire once I entered college. A lot of the things I learned, such as resumes or interviewing, were taught to me through my own trial and errors. Even as a graduate, there are things I’m still learning as I go through the workforce.

What do you hope to achieve in this role?

I hope I’m able to give clarity to Career Online High School students and graduates, during their decision to pursue further education or a career. I also want to build a support network for students and alumni, allowing them to have confidence in their abilities to succeed during and after the program.  

What is your favorite book?

The Harry Potter series will always be my favorite, due to the amount of world building, twists, and interesting characters. Looking back, I wish Harry would’ve chosen Slytherin! A bonus series would be the Seven Realms Series by Cinda Williams Chima, a great series with a theme around a lowly thief turning into a powerful and respected wizard with royal blood.  

Do you have a favorite library memory/ Did you enjoy going to the library as a kid?

I loved libraries as a kid. I used to spend my free time as kid going to the main library when I lived in San Francisco. My favorite memory is my high school librarians knowing me by name because I would check out a new book almost every day.

Thanks for sharing a little about yourself, Daniel! We look forward to seeing the impact you will have!

Winter is the perfect time for children to cozy up with their favorite blanket and put their imaginations to work by reading books of their interests. When the weather turns cold, children may not be able to play outside as often, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t invest in exercising their minds. A study shows that 61% of low-income families have no books at in their homes for their children, illustrating that though literacy rates in Santa Clara County are relatively high compared to national averages, there are still notable disparities among different demographics, specifically pertaining to economic status. The San José Public Library Foundation is aware of the powerful influence that the San José Public Library has in the Bay area, and therefore strives to support and make known the valuable resources and programs that the libraries of San José offers. Reading books have the power to improve writing abilities, spur imagination, improve cognitive development, and so much more which is why we are happy to announce the Winter Reading program and Read to Raise fundraiser!

A family’s commitment to reading can foster intellectual growth in their children. It was found that children who are read to at least 3 times a week by a family member are almost twice as likely to score in the top 25% in reading compared to children who are read to less than 3 times a week. There are so many creative and interactive ways for parents to incorporate reading into their child’s life. For example, parents and children can take turns reading each page when flipping through a book or read to their pets. Libraries are the central place where books of all levels, languages, and leisure can be found, and that’s why the San José Public Library hosts two annual reading challenges, providing a welcoming reading environment at their 25 branch locations.

The Winter Reading Program, Read to Raise Fundraiser, & Prizes!

The Winter Reading program introduces reading challenges for specifically children in our community which takes place over winter break. This program is strategically timed to prevent learning loss and encourage children to continue to immerse themselves in a learning mindset even when they’re not in school. The Winter Reading program is happening December 2nd, 2024 to January 5th, 2025, and is accessible to all ages. You can register for the San José Public Library Winter Reading program at sjpl.beanstack.org. If you would like to join the San José Public Library Foundation in the Read to Raise fundraiser, click on “Join Fundraiser,” and follow the steps when registering for the Winter Reading program. Read to Raise works by having our read-o-thon fundraiser participants find sponsors who will commit to donating a specific amount of money dependent on how many books the participant reads. For example, a participant can donate $10 for every book read by the participant. Beanstack, a website and app that is a part of your registration, will help keep track of how much a participant has raised and how many books they have read during this Winter Reading challenge. Within this challenge, participants will be able to create healthy reading habits and also experience boosted academic performance through the power of reading. Additionally, all Read to Raise participants will be put into a drawing to win two tickets to Happy Hallow Park & Zoo or to The Tech Interactive. The funds raised during this challenge will directly support Literary Arts Programs at the Library, helping to expand resources and foster the development of young minds. We invite you to share this exciting and impactful initiative with your friends and family, and don’t forget to post about your journey on social media to inspire others!

The San José Public Library Foundation welcomes any direct donations towards supporting the library in its mission of elevating the literacy rates in our communities. Join the Fundraiser here, and if you are able to raise at least $100, then you will be eligible to win a $50 gift card prize! The Winter Reading Program and the Read to Raise Fundraiser encourages more independent reading in hopes that participants not only strengthen their literacy level, but also discover what they enjoy learning about and find true enjoyment in reading that will outlive this month-long program. If you’re unable to find a participant to sponsor but still feel passionately about the mission of this reading challenge, we invite you to consider making a direct donation to support the San José Public Library and its programs.

Whether a child is reading a recipe for grandma’s traditional soup, reading the instructions to a new board game, or picking out their favorite books in the library, the San José Public Library Foundation is here to strengthen literacy development in a way that is accessible to all. We’re so excited to see all the types of books that participants will choose, the engagement from our library communities, and the individual growth that each reader will experience during this program! Thank you for considering to participate as well as considering the San José Public Library Foundation’s Read to Raise Fundraiser with your involvement to the Winter Reading program. If you need any more clarification about the Winter Reading program or how to get involved with the Read to Raise Fundraiser, please contact development@sjplf.org for questions. Happy Reading!

Category: Uncategorized

Reading, Prizes, and Fun: Keeping San José Engaged with Summer Learning and Read to Raise

Teen ARTrepeneurs: How the San José Public Library and its Foundation is Sparking Young Entrepreneurs

Adult Literacy and ESL Tutor Spotlight: Laura Randall

From First-Generation to Mentor: Mariana’s Journey

STEAM Programs at the Library: Digital Discovery Workshops

San José Public Library Awarded $500,000 Grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York to Expand ESL, College, and Career Readiness Programs

Celebrating Mother’s Day: The Impact of San José Libraries and How You Can Help

Why Estate Planning Matters: Secure Your Future & Join Our Free Workshop

New College and Career Fellow to Help Residents Achieve Their Post-Graduation Goals

Why Winter Reading Matters

The Winter Reading Program, Read to Raise Fundraiser, & Prizes!