SIDNEY — Shelby County Libraries have a lot planned for this year’s Match Day gifts. Patrons at locations throughout the county will benefit with several programs and items to enhance literacy. Gifts will also support staff development on qualities such as leadership and teamwork.
“Match Day gifts will help us provide the ‘Hooked on Phonics’ series at each location and pay the startup costs of the ‘1,000 Books Before Kindergarten’ national early literacy program, as well as STEM and sensory items,” said Suzanne Cline, executive director. “These gifts give us the ability to host programs like the Ohio Water Color Show, authors and speakers. We can also use these gifts to purchase awards for a countywide poetry contest. Things we would like to do, but our regular budget is just too limited.”
The library participated in Match Day for the first time last year and used the gifts for reading programs, author visits and items to encourage literacy.
“Match Day provided incentives for our system-wide summer reading program which involved more than 2,400 participants. The adults alone read nearly 4,100 books, not counting the books adults read to children or grandchildren who were also enrolled,” said Cline. “The gifts from 2018 Match Day also supported our winter reading program, more than 700 Babble bags for babies born at Wilson Health, a light luncheon when we hosted children’s and teen’s authors, and ten launch pad devices that are used in all of our county locations.”
To support Shelby County Libraries on Match Day, gifts must be made payable to the Community Foundation of Shelby County with: Match/Shelby County Libraries noted on the memo or in an accompanying note or form. Details and forms are available at the Community Foundation website at commfoun.com and at Shelby County Libraries locations. Gifts must be received on or before Dec. 3 to be eligible for up to $5,000 in matching money. Credit card gifts may be made on Dec. 3 only on the Community Foundation site.
