What We Do
What does the High Plains Library District Friends & Foundation do?
A large portion of the Foundation's work goes towards funding essential and innovative library programs and services. We solicit funding on behalf of the District in the form of grants, private donations, corporate support, special events, and investment earnings. Our purpose is to diversify and create sustainable funding streams for the High Plains Library District in order to relieve dependency on tax revenue. We support librarians in producing high-quality library programs and services so that they may be available for present and future generations of library lovers. In 2022, the Foundation developed and implemented the coordination of volunteers within the HPLD libraries.
Our Funding Priorities
LINC Library Innovation Center
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Capital growth District-wide
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Programs supporting education and literacy among underserved populations
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Writer in Residence and literary arts
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High-impact District-wide programs
Programs and Services We Support
Every year, HPLD librarians and staff submit applications to receive funding from HPLD Friends & Foundation for their program or service - new or old. The Annual Request for Funding Support process has supported over 20 programs and services since 2022 with over $100,000 distributed. Through Board Designated Funds, grants, or sponsorships, these are some of the programs and services that have been funded.
1,000 Books Before Kindergarten is the High Plains Library District’s primary early literacy program. The program aims to promote reading to newborns, infants, and toddlers so they are prepared to learn to read by the time they reach Kindergarten. The program’s goal is to instill a lifelong love of reading in young children throughout our community.
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The HPLD Friends & Foundation provides support for 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten through Board Designated Funds and a grant from The Weld Trust.
Summer Reading Adventure was developed to engage K-12 students in summer education in Literacy, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies/History. It was designed to specifically incorporate the District's mission; connecting communities to information, inspiration and entertainment. The purpose of the program is to combat anticipated "summer slide" and regression in learning experienced by many students during summer break.
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The HPLD Friends & Foundation provides support for Summer Reading Adventure through Board Designated Funds and in-kind sponsorships.
Multilingual Nursery Rhyme Booklets
The High Plains Library District collected nursery rhymes, finger plays, and songs from Weld County’s international community in their native languages (Somali, Burmese and French) to be complied into multilingual nursery rhyme booklets. The booklets are distributed through HPLD branch libraries and Outreach stops, as well as through the Immigrant and Refugee Center, Centennial Board of Cooperative Educational Services, and North Range Behavioral Health’s Home Instruction for parents of Preschool Youngsters home mentors.
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HPLD Friends and Foundation provides support through Board Designated Funds to support this program.
YES!Fest
The Youth Engineering and Science Festival – YES!fest – promises to be a fun and educational festival for the whole family. Booths and exhibitors from across many science and engineering fields will provide hands-on activities for all age levels. YES!fest seeks to create a change in attitude toward engineering as a meaningful potential career option and emphasizes its relevance in our everyday lives.
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HPLD Friends and Foundation provides support from Board Designated Funds and sponsorships to support this program.
Adults Read On
ARO (Adults Read On!) launched in January 2022 to encourage adults to read throughout the year. Inspired by the Summer Reading Adventure, our librarians found that adults needed their own reading program that is marketed separately from children and teen literacy programs.
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HPLD Friends and Foundation provides support through Board Designated Funds and sponsorships for this event.
