Our Phoenix Public Library was recently named as a finalist for the 2015 National Medal for Museum and Library Service.
This award is the nation’s highest honor given to museums and libraries by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums.
Through April 7, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is encouraging library patrons to show their support for this recognition by posting how the Phoenix Public Library has positively impacted their lives on the IMLS Facebook page.
We invite you to join in this effort!
The Phoenix Public Library is a tremendous resource, making our city a catalytic community where residents with a vision, passion for helping others, and desire to collaborate can make significant contributions to our quality of life. One shining example of the powerful collaborations taking place through our library is the “Jeremy Jackrabbit” children’s book series written by Phoenix attorneys, Sasha and Rodney Glassman.
This April, over 50,000 Arizona kindergarteners will arrive home from school with a crisp new children’s book featuring a jackrabbit named Jeremy, who learns about water conservation from his desert friends, including Karrin the Heron and Javelina Jim.
Illustrated by K-8 students, through a Valley-wide, library-produced illustration contest, written in rhyme in both Spanish and English, and complete with a foreword by Arizona State University President Michael Crow, a recycling guide from the city of Tempe, and lesson plans aligned to College and Career Readiness Standards written by ASU’s Global Institute of Sustainability, this book represents the latest title in a Phoenix Public Library-based community project that has grown into Arizona’s largest literacy collaboration.
Over the past 3 years, with passion, persistence, and a powerful commitment to literacy and sustainability, more than 165,000 free children’s books have been distributed across Arizona, teaching kindergartners and their families about the importance of recycling, solar power, and water conservation. With leadership from Director Rita Hamilton and her nationally recognized team, engagement of nearly 50 elementary school districts, and the generous financial support of sponsors such as Freeport McMoRan, UFCW Local 99, Apollo Education Group, First Solar, Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 469, philanthropist John O. Whiteman, the Arizona Community Foundation, and countless others, this project has inspired community leaders from across Arizona, putting books into the hands and homes of nearly 200,000 families.
The “Jeremy Jackrabbit” book series embodies the can-do-spirit and commitment to community that make Phoenix a spectacular place to live, work, and raise a family. Yet, this is just one of the many exciting collaborations that emanate from our Phoenix Public Library. From the “hive @ central” – a discovery space for business entrepreneurs, to the “Kids Café” – a partnership with the nation’s oldest food bank, St. Mary’s Food Bank, which provides meals and literacy activities to over 300 hungry children per week — the Phoenix Public Library’s 17 branches are home to countless programs in addition to hosting more than five million visitors and lending over 10 million books, DVDs and CDs in 2014.
Please join us in saluting the Phoenix Public Library by posting your stories about the positive impacts this important community resource has had on your quality of life by visiting www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org.
Co-authored by:
Thelda Williams, Phoenix City Council District 1
Jim Waring, Phoenix City Council District 2
Bill Gates, Phoenix City Council District 3
Laura Pastor, Phoenix City Council District 4
Daniel Valenzuela, Phoenix City Council District 5
Sal DiCiccio, Phoenix City Council District 6
Michael Nowakowski, Phoenix City Council District 7
Kate Gallego, Phoenix City Council District 8
