Long Beach Public Library Foundation

Long Beach Leaders are Readers: Carmen O. Perez, Long Beach Community Leader

Long Beach Leaders are Readers: Ellie Perez, LGBTQ Community Leader and Activist

Long Beach Leaders are Readers: Long Beach’s First Ever Youth Poet Laureate, Claire Beeli

Long Beach Leaders are Readers features leaders in our community as they share their recommended reads. This month, we have a very special featured leader: Long Beach’s very first Youth Poet Laureate, Claire Beeli. Ms. Beeli has shared the following reading recommendation. Enjoy!

The Dispossessed

by Ursula K. Le Guin

The Dispossessed taught me much of what I know about writing, by virtue of the quality of Le Guin’s work. More than that, though, this book unifies love, science, family, and revolutionary political commentary in a way that is both personal and Earth-spanning. It is a master class in storytelling—I wish I could give every young writer a copy!

-Claire Beeli

Long Beach 2023 Youth Poet Laureate

Claire Beeli is a local high school student, published poet, community volunteer, and an advocate for literacy, the library and the arts! You can view her winning submission for the Youth Poet Laureate competition here.

Learn more about the Youth Poet Laureate program on the Long Beach Public Library website.

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Part of our Long Beach Leaders are Readers program includes inviting the featured leader to sign the inside of their book recommendation so that future patrons who check the book out will be able to learn about the significance of the book to our local leaders. Keep an eye out for the signed recommendations at your local branch!

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Find “The Dispossessed” at your local neighborhood branch here.

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April is National Library Month – Here’s How You Can Help

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April is Library Month! 

Library Giving Day, April 4 
National Library Week, April 23 – 29 

We need your help to raise support for the 12 Long Beach Public Libraries! The Library’s dynamic literacy programs, STEM workshops, and one-on-one homework help are needed now more than ever to help kids succeed and thrive. Recently released student test scores show the pandemic’s continuing impact on student achievement. More than half of LBUSD students failed to meet state standards last school year, with about 52% failing to meet the standard for English and about 67% failing to meet the standard for math. Your support helps get them back on track! 

Help us reach our $10,000 fundraising goal for National Library Month, which includes Library Giving Day on April 4 and National Library Week April 23-29. You can help by hosting your own fundraiser on Facebook or through email. We recommend setting a personal goal of $250 or more. You may inspire your friends to give if you kick things off with a donation of your own.  

Please note that Facebook does not charge any fees for donations and, in fact, covers the credit card fees so the total amount donated directly supports the Library Foundation. 

Facebook Fundraiser Toolkit 

This toolkit includes:  

• Step-by-step instructions to create a Facebook fundraiser 

• Suggested copy for posts when sharing your fundraiser 
• An email template if you choose to fundraise by email instead 

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Creating a Facebook Fundraiser 

If you choose to create a Facebook fundraiser, we recommend that you set it up by April 1 so that you can fundraise for Library Giving Day. This will give your friends and family time to see your fundraiser and help you reach your goal. 

Sign into Facebook and click the link below to get started. 

https://www.facebook.com/fund/LBPLFoundation/

1. The window below will appear with “Long Beach Public Library Foundation” automatically set as the organization you are raising money for.  

2. Scroll through the “Details” section on the left and: 

• Enter $250 or more for “How much money do you want to raise?” 
• Enter April 30 for “When should your fundraiser end?” 
• Add a message for “Why are you raising money?” such as:  

April is Library Month! As a Long Beach Public Library cardholder and patron, I call on you to join me in supporting free educational resources for the Long Beach students and families who need help getting back on track.  

The Library’s dynamic literacy programs, STEM workshops, and one-on-one homework help are needed now more than ever to help kids succeed and thrive. Recently released student test scores show the pandemic’s continuing impact on student achievement. More than half of LBUSD students failed to meet state standards last school year, with about 52% failing to meet the standard for English and about 67% failing to meet the standard for math. 

At the 12 public libraries, the Library Foundation funds many early literacy programs in English and Spanish including Dive into Learning and the annual Summer Reading program. The Library Foundation also funds the Family Learning Center program which provides one-on-one tutoring for students of all ages and job search support for their families. 

I hope you will join me in celebrating Library Month with a gift that will make a difference for Long Beach families! Visit LBPLfoundation.org to learn more about the programs your donation will support. 

3. Click “Create.” The fundraiser will automatically be shared on your Timeline.  

4. Invite your friends! This is the best way to tell all your friends about your fundraiser. Facebook gives you the option to invite either all of your friends or to select individual friends to donate to the fundraiser. Those who have been invited will receive a notification.  

5. Share your fundraiser and re-share throughout April to get more support. 

Suggested copy for posts when sharing your fundraiser: 

• Post on April 4: Today is #LibraryGivingDay and I am proud to support the 12 Long Beach public libraries as a library lover and patron. Help me reach my fundraising goal!  

• Post on April 23: Today is the start of #NationalLibraryWeek and I am proud to support the 12 Long Beach public libraries. Help me reach my fundraising goal to support our libraries!  
• Happy #NationalLibraryWeek! I’m fundraising to support the Long Beach Public Library Foundation’s work to provide resources to students, job seekers, families, and everyone who depends on the Library.  
• Celebrate #NationalLibraryWeek by supporting the Long Beach Public Library Foundation! Our public libraries and their free programs are needed now more than ever. 

Suggested Email 

If you prefer not to use Facebook for your fundraiser, we encourage you to email potential supporters asking them to donate on our website or to send a donation through the mail. You might say: 

Hi _____, 

Happy National Library Month! As you may know, I proudly support the 12 public libraries in Long Beach. This week, I call on you to support free educational resources at the libraries by helping me reach my $250 (or more) fundraiser goal.  

The Library’s dynamic literacy programs, STEM workshops, and one-on-one homework help are needed now more than ever to help kids succeed and thrive. Recently released student test scores show the pandemic’s continuing impact on student achievement. More than half of LBUSD students failed to meet state standards last school year, with about 52% failing to meet the standard for English and about 67% failing to meet the standard for math. 

At the 12 public libraries, the Library Foundation funds many early literacy programs in English and Spanish including Dive into Learning and the annual Summer Reading program. The Library Foundation also funds the Family Learning Center program which provides one-on-one tutoring for students of all ages and job search support for their families. 

I hope you will join me in celebrating National Library Month with a gift that will make a difference for Long Beach families! Visit LBPLfoundation.org to learn more about the programs your donation will support. 

I hope you will join me in celebrating Library Month with a gift that will make a difference for Long Beach families! Visit lbplfoundation.org/donate to make a donation of any size. To support my fundraiser, please enter my name in the Comment section of the form. You may also mail your donation to Long Beach Public Library Foundation, 200 W. Broadway, Long Beach, CA 90802. Please include a note with your donation to have it applied to my fundraiser.  

Thank you for making a difference for our Libraries and the people they serve! 

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This is just one way you can help support our public libraries this April during National Library Month! Our Foundation has a goal of $10,000 and we hope you can help continue to ensure library programs like the Family Learning Centers, The Studio Maker Spaces, the Adaptive Center for Technology and the Dive into Learning programs continue to serve the Long Beach community.

To donate directly to our Foundation and these programs, please click here.

What’s happening in The Studio in March

The Studios are community workspaces where people can meet, socialize, innovate, and collaborate using technology and resources. There are currently two permanent spaces – The Studio inside the Billie Jean King Main Library and The Learning Lab at the Michelle Obama library, plus a mobile Studio available at all 12 LBPL branch locations on a rotating monthly schedule.

Your generous donations help make these programs possible. Learn how you can become a donor.

Check out this month’s Studio events and workshops:

A design thinking workshop series specifically for 7th and 8th graders! Do you know of a middle schooler interested in creative thinking and problem-solving? Do they love collaborating and working with others to come up with a unique solution to a challenge? This series is for them! In 10 weeks they will learn new strategies to designing a life that inspires them.

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The Studio is made possible by the Long Beach Public Library Foundation through grants from the Rudolph J. and Daphne A. Munzer Foundation, the Josephine S. Gumbiner Foundation, the Earl B. and Loraine H. Miller Foundation, Edison International, and more.

The Mobile Studio is made possible by the Long Beach Public Library Foundation through grants from Marathon Petroleum Corporation, the LGA Family Foundation, and the California Resources Corporation.

Library Event: Virtual Author Talks

March has an exciting line-up that you won’t want to miss! Join the conversations about the life benefits of being a generalist, some delicious Southern cooking, and travel back in time to the Nazi resistance in Brussels. Don’t forget about the live Q&A after each talk where you can join the conversation with the authors. The events are held on the dates listed below and will be recorded, so sign up and submit your questions even if you can’t attend the live session! 

David Epstein, Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World 
Monday, March 13 @ 10 AM PDT

Join the Library for the conversation with New York Times bestselling author David Epstein as he chats about his most recent book, Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World.  

Generalists are those who often find their path late and juggle many interests rather than focusing on one. They are usually the successful ones, not the specialists who tend to have an early start and unwavering focus. Generalists arealso more creative, agile, and able to make connections their more specialized peers can’t see.  

David Epstein examined the world’s most successful athletes, artists, musicians, inventors, forecasters, and scientists. He discovered that in most fields—especially those that are complex and unpredictable—generalists, not specialists, are primed to excel.  

Send your questions in for David Epstein and check out Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World and his other books. 

Jernard Wells, Southern Inspired: More Than 100 Delicious Dishes from My American Table to Yours 
Tuesday, March 21 @ 1 PM PDT 

Yum! Join the Library for this delicious conversation with Celebrity Chef Jernard Wells about his newest cookbook Southern Inspired: More Than 100 Delicious Dishes from My American Table to Yours.  

Delicious and inventive recipes that remix the traditional flavors and classic dishes of Southern food and celebrate African-American culinary contributions to tables worldwide—from the host of CLEO TV’s New Soul Kitchen. After growing up in Mississippi, Jernard Wells brought the familiar dishes and bold flavors of the South along his culinary journey to become a chef, restaurateur, and TV host. With Southern Inspired, Jernard continues his journey—retracing the steps of generations of African American cooks whose creations have contributed to global kitchen tables since slavery. Southern food defines American food at large, and Chef Jernard takes it to a whole new level while still honoring its roots. Chef Jernard also brings in flavors from the Caribbean, Latin America, Asia, and Europe, always with his signature Southern flair. This cookbook shares 100 recipes that are approachable for both beginners and more experienced cooks. 

Send your questions in for celebrity chef Jernard Wells and check out Southern Inspired: More Than 100 Delicious Dishes from My American Table to Yours. 

Pam Jenoff, Code Name Sapphire 
Tuesday, March 28 @ 4 PDT

Join the Library for an exciting trip through time as we chat with New York Times bestselling historical fiction author Pam Jenoff about her newest book Code Name Sapphire. 

In Code Name Sapphire, a woman must rescue her cousin’s family from a train bound for Auschwitz in this riveting tale of bravery and resistance.

It’s 1942 and Hannah Martel has narrowly escaped Nazi Germany after her fiancé was killed in a pogrom. When her ship bound for America is turned away at port, she has nowhere to go but to her cousin Lily, who lives with her family in Brussels. Fearful for her life, Hannah is desperate to escape occupied Europe. But with no safe way to leave, she must return to the dangerous underground work she thought she had left behind. 

Send your questions in for Pam Jenoff and check out Code Name Sapphire and her other books.  

Summer Reading Program Launches with Live Music Performances at all 12 Public Libraries

The Long Beach Public Library invites you to blaze a new trail this summer through the annual Summer Reading program! The Long Beach Public Library Foundation is proud to sponsor this year’s program thanks to generous support from the Port of Long Beach.

From Saturday, June 18 to Saturday, August 13 readers of all ages can take part in the fun with prizes, programs, and special events designed to entertain and educate. To celebrate the launch of this year’s program, all 12 public libraries will host a live music performance during the first week of the program (June 21-24), courtesy of the Music Center of Los Angeles’ Art Grown program.

Additional support for the Summer Reading program was provided by the International Paper Foundation. Click the link below to learn more and register for this program.

Billie Jean King Main Library KidSpace Dedicated to John & Helen Apostle in Honor of $1 Million Gift to Children’s Programming

On May 13, 2022, the Long Beach Public Library and Long Beach Public Library Foundation dedicated the children’s library at the Billie Jean King Main Library, the KidSpace, to the late John and Helen Apostle in a celebration attended by families, local leaders, and Library supporters. This honor recognizes a $1 million gift from the John Apostle and Helen Apostle Foundation to support children’s programming. This gift was the largest pledge made to the Library Foundation as part of its New Main Campaign, which concluded in September 2020 after raising more than $3.3 million for technology, programs, and enhancements at Long Beach’s newest library. The New Main Campaign was co-chaired by Billie Jean King and Mayor Robert Garcia, with nearly 500 community members, book clubs, foundations, and local organizations contributing gifts of all sizes.

“We are proud to fund crucial programs for children who depend on the Long Beach Public Library,” said Jim Sullos, Trustee of the John Apostle and Helen Apostle Foundation. “This important work will build a lasting legacy for John and Helen Apostle.”

“The Billie Jean King Main Library is an incredible space and a center for education and community development in Downtown Long Beach,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “I want to thank the John Apostle and Helen Apostle Foundation for their generous support of these programs and resources for children and families in our community.”

The Apostle Foundation’s $1 million gift is being contributed over ten years. Half of the funds will be used to establish the John and Helen Apostle Endowed Fund for Children, to help these programs serve children for generations to come. The funds received have enabled the Library to hire three bilingual Library staff who design and implement children’s programs in Spanish and English, such as Dive into Reading/Sumérgete a Leer, Circle of Stories/Círculo de Cuentos, and Cuentos y Cantos. The Billie Jean King Main Library is the hub of the Long Beach Public Library system, and with this new support, these programs can be replicated at all 11 neighborhood libraries.

“The generous gift from the John Apostle and Helen Apostle Foundation is one of the largest gifts the Library Foundation has ever received,” said Veronica Garcia Dávalos, Executive Director/CEO of the Library Foundation. “It comes when Long Beach youth need support to improve their reading capabilities and succeed in school. We are proud to honor John and Helen Apostle with this beautiful display in the Billie Jean King Main Library.”

According to a March 2022 report from the Long Beach Unified School District, during the first in-person school year since the pandemic began, 61 percent of elementary and 66 percent of middle school students in Long Beach read below grade level. According to a 2021 report released by the City Auditor, the Library should provide more materials and programs in languages other than English. Due to its limited budget, 95 percent of physical Library materials and 97 percent of programs are in English, even though 30 percent of residents in several Long Beach neighborhoods have limited English proficiency. It is crucial that the Library receive the funding necessary to provide more resources in Spanish, Khmer, Tagalog, and other languages spoken in Long Beach homes. This $1 million gift from the John Apostle and Helen Apostle Foundation has already made a significant impact in supporting important multilingual Library programming for youth in Long Beach.

“The Library’s children’s programming is needed now more than ever,” said Ryan Ballard, Long Beach Public Library Foundation Board President. “The impact of the Apostle Foundation’s gift will surely be felt throughout our communities, and we hope will inspire greater generosity in others as we seek to improve the outcomes for all Long Beach youth. We simply couldn’t be more excited and grateful!”

John and Helen Apostle were Long Beach-based entrepreneurs who were actively involved in local civic and philanthropic endeavors. The Apostles, former owners of the Golden Sails Inn in Long Beach, were longtime supporters of the City’s libraries. They placed their estate in their charitable foundation to benefit the community, needy children, and the elderly.

The KidSpace dedicated to John and Helen Apostle with a plaque and a new art wall featuring dolphins leaping through waves is the ocean-themed children’s section of the Billie Jean King Main Library. It contains a collection of approximately 45,000 books and materials for youth ages zero to 12, computers with tools and software just for children, interactive educational stations, study tables and lounge chairs for reading and learning, a Studio Jr offering makerspace STEAM workshops, and the Rotary Storytime Theater. All KidSpace resources are available whenever the Billie Jean Main Library is open. Visit the Library’s website at longbeach.gov/library for open hours and the Library’s program and events calendar.

More than 60% of Long Beach students read below grade level. Double your impact with a National Library Week donation!

The Long Beach Unified School District recently reported that during this first in-person school year since the pandemic began, 61% of elementary and 66% of middle school students in Long Beach read below grade level. Even more shocking, 8% of elementary and 35% of middle school students read at three or more grade levels behind their current grade.

Help fund resources for students and all who depend on the 12 Long Beach public libraries with a tax-deductible donation of any amount. Thanks to an anonymous donor, you have the opportunity to double your impact when you celebrate our libraries during National Library Week (April 3 – 9) and Library Giving Day (April 6)!

The Long Beach Public Library Foundation is a nonprofit organization founded in 1996 in response to Library budget cuts. Thanks to your donations, every year we provide more than $1 million for library programs, technology, materials, and other enhancements at the 12 public libraries, including:

• homework help, job search support, and computer training through the Family Learning Center program;
• early literacy programs in English and Spanish;
• a new dictionary/thesaurus for every LBUSD 3rd grade student to keep in their home libraries;
• Chromebooks and wireless internet devices available for check out;
• adaptive technology for those with disabilities;
• 3D printers, advanced design software, and other creative resources in the Library’s makerspace Studio;
• scholarships for adults earning their high school diploma through the Library;
• and more!

Whether you give $5 or $500, your generosity makes a difference for the thousands of Long Beach families who depend on the Long Beach Public Library’s free educational resources.

Library Foundation Supported Programs in Lincoln Park

In March, the Library resumed in-person storytimes and other programs for youth, including the return of Circle of Stories/Círculo de Cuentos in the newly remodeled Lincoln Park. Circle of Stories/Círculo de Cuentos is a Library Foundation-funded bilingual program for families with children ages 2 to 5. Librarians led children in educational songs, games, and storytimes in Spanish and English. Thanks to Library Foundation donors, each child in attendance received a backpack containing activity guides and tools to increase child engagement.

In April, the Library will host the Library Foundation-funded Cuentos y Cantos Spanish and English storytime program in Lincoln Park every Friday at 10:00 AM. Families with children ages 2 to 5 are invited to read, talk, sing, and play ¡en inglés y en español!

Check out the Library’s calendar to view the full list of upcoming events and programs.