‘Tis the Season: Parkland Community Library Supports Informed Giving

Libraries provide citizens of all ages the knowledge they need to contribute effectively in their communities. During this holiday season, many people donate dollars and/or time to organizations and causes in addition to the gifts they give to their families and friends. Gifts to charities can create a lasting connection, provide for generations to come, and satisfy donors’ desires to make a difference by supporting causes that are meaningful to them. The Parkland Community Library can be an invaluable resource to help you determine which charities and non-profit organizations align most closely with your interests. A number of watch groups monitor and report how much funding an organization receives, uses towards its mission, and maintains in the local community. By using library resources, you can make a more informed decision about how to allocate your donations. And if finances are tight this holiday season, consider a time commitment through volunteering. When making giving decisions, consider gifting your local library, which benefits citizens within the community in many ways. Contributing dollars or time to your library ensures the preservation of library services for future generations and continues to open new doors for lifelong learning for all ages. Volunteering opportunities abound in libraries, from shelving materials to tutoring students to hosting programs. Libraries help people of all ages build five types of literacy skills (basic, information, civic/social, health, and financial) essential to greater success as citizens, students, parents, employers, employees, and consumers. These five literacies are components of PA Forward, an initiative of the Pennsylvania Library Association in which libraries partner with businesses and organizations to increase literacy levels across Pennsylvania. For more information about PA Forward, visit www.paforward.org. The Parkland Community Library is open Monday-Thursday, 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. For more information, please call the library at 610-398-1361.