I've always found it fitting that the celebrations of National Library Week and National Volunteer week fall together during the third week in April. A big part of National Library Week is the celebration of the incredible ways that library workers impact the lives of people in their communities, and I encourage you to engage with all of the activities the Library will be sharing on social media this week to help you get to know your library staff a little better. I'm blown away by the creativity and commitment our team has demonstrated during this crisis in creating new online activities and engagement opportunities, continuing to find ways to support our most vulnerable residents, and assisting other City of Redwood City departments with essential activities like food distribution, a bilingual call center for rental assistance, and reaching out to local businesses about relief programs. My heartfelt thanks to the Library staff for their proactive and professional response during an incredibly challenging time.

 

Strengthening the work of our library employees is an unmatched corps of volunteers, who contribute nearly as many hours per year to library services as our staff do. The tutors for Project READ support hundreds of adults per year in developing their reading and writing skills, and other Project READ programs provide opportunities for older youth to support younger kids, as well as matching inmate tutors and learners to build literacy among incarcerated individuals. Traveling Storytime volunteers are looking forward to a time when they can return to providing weekly storytime activities to about 50 local preschools and child care centers. Library Board members provide connections to the broader community and potential partners to help ensure that we are responsive to our community (we're recruiting for Board Members right now - find more information here.) The Archives Committee helps maintain the unique and invaluable resources in the Karl A. Vollmayer Local History Room, and they support researchers studying the storied history of our community.

 

We also have three dedicated 501 (c)(3) nonprofit fundraising groups that provide the financial resources that allow us to go above and beyond what people expect from a public library.  The Redwood City Library Foundation supports services, improvements, collections and programs, including our developing  Makerspace, our Bridging the Digital Divide project to provide wifi hotspots for home use, and the  Career Online High School program. The Friends of Redwood City Public Library contribute proceeds from their bookstore in the Downtown Library to fund the vast majority of the Library's programs and activities, including, but not limited to, Summer Learning Challenge, author visits, employment assistance workshops, and a diverse array of programs for kids, teens, adults, and families.  Redwood City Friends of Literacy (RCFOL) supports the intergenerational literacy services of Redwood City Project READ, including books for home libraries, early literacy activities to support whole families learning together, eye exams and reading glasses, tutor training, and much more. Please follow the links if you'd like to show your gratitude to any of these wonderful support groups by making a financial contribution or asking how you can volunteer to help them. 

   

As we begin preparations for what Library services will look like in the weeks and months ahead, we will need to tap into the passion and the dedication of all the wonderful humans, paid and unpaid, who make your Library so special. Please join me in an enthusiastic virtual round of applause for their terrific work. 

   

Happy National Library Week, Happy National Volunteer Week, and please continue to stay safe and healthy.

 

Cheers,

Derek Wolfgram

Library Director