Building Young Readers: McCloud’s Community-Powered Library Program

Volunteers and Grants Bring New Books to McCloud’s Young Readers

In McCloud, 2nd and 3rd graders get to visit the McCloud library during school hours once a week as part of their school schedule. In the small rural community of McCloud, there are no paid librarians. Nine volunteers work at the McCloud branch. Volunteers Nancy Smith and Eileen Bauer plan the weekly activities, which include story time, crafts and activities related to the story of the week, and a snack. Before heading back to class, each child gets to check out a new book. Last week, Smith and Bauer donated bubble wands for the children to play with during their library time.

With no funding for paid librarians at the McCloud Library, all nine volunteers donate their time. All extras—like bubble wands, coloring books, and crayons that Nancy and Eileen plan for during the children’s library time—they donate themselves.

Nancy Smith says, “We call this reading time ‘at the big library’ as opposed to utilizing the school’s library. We usually have from 11 to 15 kids each week. We read a story, then do a craft related to the story, then they get a snack, and choose a book to take home before going back to class. We have been doing this for the last four or more consecutive years.”

Siskiyou County Libraries enriches local children’s book choices by utilizing Pilcrow Foundation grants that are “changing children’s lives one book at a time.”

Tom Evans, a volunteer along with his wife Marie at the McCloud Branch, says of the Pilcrow Foundation program, “We give lists of books to the kids and they choose which books they want. It gives them a sense of ownership. The books will be part of the library system for all children in Siskiyou County. This is on top of the Yreka library that funds us. The application has to meet the qualifications. This program used to be every three years and now it is yearly.”

The Pilcrow Foundation’s mission is to provide new hardcover children’s books to rural public libraries across the United States. The grant project provides a 2-to-1 match to libraries that contribute $200-$400 through local sponsors for the purchase of up to $1,200 (retail value) of new hardcover children’s books. There is a list of over 500 books to choose from through this program, and the McCloud library lets the children in the community pick out what books they want to have in their library. Each week, children get to pick out a book to take home to read. The last time Siskiyou Libraries participated, they received 72 children’s books retailing at $1,202.70 from this program.

The library also participates in donor-sponsored programs. Hal Berenson and Laura Ackerman have donated 25 books on math and science. Dr. Nill Strawbridge and Meg Wallhagen donated 18 books on health and wellness. These donations come through the “Friends of the Library” program.

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