Studies show that children who are read to before kindergarten enter school far more ready to learn. Opportunities to play in a visual, story-filled environment are imperative to reaching school readiness goals.

The Great Falls Public Library is the only organization in town that offers weekly storytimes, a play area with building blocks, thousands of books for early readers, and resources for parents to help their children succeed. We need your help to keep these services for our children available to all families in our community.

According to United States census data, 9.1% of residents in Great Falls lived below the federal poverty line. Children living in these homes are unlikely to have technology or books. These children need literacy-based library programs such as story-times to prepare them for entering school and summer reading to keep them learning when school is out. These programs and a current collection of reading materials are fundamental to the development of families in need.

At the Great Falls Public Library, evening hours and after-school programs mean a safe place for our youth to continue learning. More staffing to support our patrons and new technology means unemployed workers can use library computers to search for and apply for jobs and community members can use email and social networks to connect with their friends and family. Up-to-date collections mean that users will have the best tools to enrich their lives. These services have a profound impact on our community and need increased and stable funding.