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RCLF Steps Up in a Challenging Funding Landscape




Our donors’ passion for Redwood City Public Library allows us to fund vital initiatives, from making the internet accessible to equipping the Makerspace for community creativity. This fiscal year, we are asking the community to take action in the face of budget shortfalls at city, county and state levels. The Library has asked us to support several additional initiatives, including buying books in 2025 for the popular Summer Learning Challenge to help prevent summer learning loss. Let’s keep our Library thriving! Here are the 3 initiatives newly supported by RCLF this fiscal year (July 2024-June 2025):

 

Summer Learning Challenge (SLC)

SLC inspires a love of reading and reinforces gains students make during the school year. It had been funded by San Mateo County Measure K funds for the last 10 years. Library staff visit all Redwood City School District and Redwood Shores elementary schools, plus local middle and high schools, handing out books and signing kids up for the challenge. Children also receive a free book when they complete it. Research indicates that helping youth create their own home library with free books can be a significant factor in improving literacy outcomes, and is particularly valuable for underserved youth communities.

 

Bienvenidos Interpretation Services

With RCLF funding, the Library is continuing and expanding a pilot project providing live Spanish language interpretation to ensure that Spanish speakers can enjoy the full range of Library programs. The California State Library provided initial (but not continuing) funding last fiscal year to purchase interpretation equipment (headsets and receivers) and to partner with the nonprofit Upward Scholars’ ¡Habla Más! program to supply trained interpreters. ¡Habla Más! interpreters are native Spanish speakers and immigrants who have completed a robust series of English-as-a-Second-Language courses, and charge less than interpretation companies while being paid a living-wage rate. The Library will also partner with other independent interpreters.

 

Brainfuse (virtual live homework help)

Brainfuse operates 24/7 and offers comprehensive assistance, especially for complex questions, with tutors specializing in specific areas of study. The Library has been offering online homework help since 2007, subsidized or fully paid for at times by the California State Library and the Friends of the Redwood City Library. With no funding available this year from other sources, RCLF is now supporting this help-giving initiative.

 

See all RCLF initiatives at www.rclfdn.org/initiatives


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