The Jackson County Library Foundation believes open libraries are good for the people and businesses of Jackson County. When libraries closed on April 6, local businesses and our local economy began to face an uncertain future.
Wal-Mart Supports Summer Reading
Our friends from the Medford, Talent and Eagle Point Wal-Mart stores have made a contribution to the Library Foundation of $25,000 to support and fund Summer Reading and Summer Storytelling in the Jackson County Library System.
This corporate contribution will allow the Library Foundation to increase the number of books available for Summer Reading and increase the prizes for those who read all summer. Funds for Summer Storytelling will bring in more storytellers to tell tall tales to our young people and get them excited about reading.
Summer Reading and Summer Storytelling begins in June and we hope many of our young people will participate and keep learning new ideas all summer long. A special thanks to Wal-Mart for helping fund the programs. Jackson County Reads 2008
Fahrenheit 451, the classic novel by Ray Bradbury of a world without books and libraries, had been chosen by the Library Foundation and the Jackson County Library System as their choice for Jackson County Reads 2008.
The two month long program was very successful and ended in April. We thank everyone who participated and discussed this important work of fiction.
Libraries Are Open
Jackson County has negotiated an agreement with a private library management company to re-open the entire 15 branch Jackson County Library System. While the initial reopening of the libraries will not be to the full number of hours they were available previously, it is a beginning and something all communities can build on.
All 15 branches of the Library System are now open and the Library Foundation will be working with the library management team to begin the valuable library programs and services again.
We hope everyone will join in celebration of the re-opening of all libraries and begin a plan that will fully fund library operations so we never have to close libraries in Jackson County again.
Jackson County Businesses Need Open Libraries
The business community in Jackson County had a lot at stake when the 15 branch libraries closed on April 6. For the past several years, Jackson County has had sustained, steady economic development, with a lively real estate market, population growth, and a
growing infrastructure for economic activity built on ideas, knowledge, experience and quality of life.
The business community needs to appreciate the link between that steady local economic development and libraries. That link includes libraries and early literacy, libraries and workforce training, and libraries and small business support.
Libraries today are not passive observers in our community; they are active participants in helping build the business infrastructure.
The Jackson County Library has an early literacy program for pre-walking babies and a monthly storytelling program for young children. The Library is giving the children, who will be the future workforce of our local businesses, the skills to read, to understand
and become intelligent, dependable employees.
Early literacy training is helping to raise levels of school readiness and success and along with elementary and secondary school links with Summer Reading in the Library, these library services are important links in a chain of investments needed to build an educated, competitive workforce. The public schools are doing their work in parallel with
the public libraries.
The Jackson County Libraries are also working to better understand local workforce trends and to have a greater community-wide impact on workforce readiness and ‘retooling’ in an era of rapid and transformative change. The public libraries are often the first point of entry for many new technology users, offering computer access and training to use and build technology skills. The technology skills they learn in the library are the same ones a business will need in their future employees.
For many, the use of a computer at the library is their only access to the technology and when you add the fact that job search and job application information is all online, libraries have really become the focus for connections between employers and potential
employees. If a business is seeking qualified new employees, an open library is a necessary resource.
Another important benefit of libraries for businesses is that public libraries have given
small businesses unlimited access to current data on products, suppliers, financing sources and competitors and these resources and programs are reducing market entry costs for start-up businesses, and strengthening the important local sector of small and
micro-enterprises.
Public Libraries are catalysts for physical development because public libraries are highly regarded, and are seen as contributing to stability, safety, and quality of life in community neighborhoods. In Medford, since the Central Library was built, plans for a new Rogue Community College/SOU facility are being finalized and a revitalized Medford downtown with new shops and condos is taking shape. The new Medford Library has definitely been a catalyst for development.
Every business owner or business manager, has a tremendous interest in an open, functioning library system. Their future workforce is being prepared in the library and their present and future customers are preparing workforce skills so they can purchase
goods and services.
Businesses need open libraries and the libraries need their support.
Written by Jim Olney
Library Foundation Executive Director.
FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER
The Library Foundation prints a quarterly newsletter of news and events. If you would like to receive a copy of the newsletter contact the Foundation office via email at jolney@jcls.org or
or call 541-774-6572.
Please visit the Campaign Updates page to find out more about the Foundation's progress in our efforts to raise funds to support public art, gardens, meeting rooms, collections, and technology in our Central and branch libraries.
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Campaign Updates
