Greetings from the Great Bend Public Library! Wow, we are already almost a week into the new month. How time flies! Now that November is officially here, that means it’s the giving time of the year. The approaching Giving Tuesday lands on Dec. 3 this year, but the giving period starts on Nov. 1.

For those who are not in the know, this observance takes place on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving. It’s a chance for communities to come together and raise money for nonprofits. Every year we set a goal to raise a certain amount to help us improve the library for our patrons. We strive to serve the needs of our community and donations help us continue to offer community programs like our summer library program, our monthly craft nights, Santa Story Time, and many more. We never charge for any events, crafts, or activities we do or the services we offer, such as our free public computers or the vast catalog of library materials like books, movies, cake pans, and more. Donations help us continue to buy materials like these that everyone can enjoy.

This year our goal is to raise $5,000 to help fund our continued efforts to update the library’s accessibility, especially for those with mobility challenges. We have received an accessibility grant through the American Library Association to help us improve our library to better serve patrons with mobility challenges; however, that grant will only help us achieve about half of our accessibility goals. We are hoping that Giving Tuesday can add to that grant and help us reach our goal that much faster. Right now we are planning to focus on making the entrance into our library more accessible for everyone. After all, it’s hard to benefit from the library if you can’t use the entrances. If you would like to help us reach our goal, donations can be made online at goldenbeltcf.org/giving-tuesday or by picking up a form at the front desk of the library.

Please consider making a donation that will directly benefit you and the entire community at large.

Hannah Grippin is outreach manager at the Great Bend Public Library. To see what else we are up to at the library, find us on social media @greatbendpl and visit our website, greatbendpl.info. You can also message us on Facebook, email us at gbcirc@gmail.com, or give us a call at 620-792-2409 with any questions about our programming or services.