York County Libraries Announce New Initiative to Support Literacy and Learning

York County Libraries Announce New Initiative to Support Literacy and Learning
YORK, PA - York County Libraries (YCL) announced plans for Literacy for Change, its first-ever 24-hour online giving initiative. The communitywide effort will support literacy and learning opportunities across York County. Literacy for Change starts at 12:00 a.m. and wraps up at 11:59 p.m. on Friday, October 10. Those interested in participating or learning more should go to LiteracyForChange.org.
 
According to York County Libraries President Robert F. Lambert, literacy is the key to breaking the barriers to 
economic mobility. “Knowledge is truly transformative. It empowers growth, change, and success in individual lives and strengthens the entire community,” says Lambert. “Our libraries provide equitable access to collections, resources, and programs at no cost to users. Everyone can learn, grow, and excel.”
 
Daily, York County Libraries provide programs and resources that help community members build the five core literacies championed by the Pennsylvania Library Association PA Forward® program. They include basic literacy, information literacy, civic and social literacy, health literacy, and financial literacy. In 2024, York County’s libraries provided over 4,000 programs for 101,289 children, teens, and adults. Library members borrowed over 1.4 million print, digital, and other items.  Countywide, residents used library Wi-Fi over 172,000 times and 177 public access computers on more than 47,000 occasions. 
 
“We are rallying our community through this new crowdfunding initiative,” says Lambert.  “Our goal is bold: $500,000 each year, mostly from modest contributions. Just a $12 donation helps to place new books in the hands of a student who needs to believe in their potential or provide digital access to a job seeker wanting to rejoin the workforce.”
 
YCL hopes to mobilize 90,000 adult library cardholders and community champions to help however they can - whether it is donating, becoming a Fundraiser, asking their employer to provide a match, or simply spreading the word.
 
“We are very appreciative of our Foundation Partners: The Arthur J. and Lee R. Glatfelter Foundation and the J. William Warehime Foundation; our Literacy Booster: The M&T Charitable Foundation; and our Media Partners: WPMT FOX43, Lamar Advertising, and WHTM abc27 – Your Local News Source for helping us to launch this inaugural Literacy for Change,” says Lambert. Community members with questions about Literacy for Change are encouraged to email LiteracyForChange@yorklibraries.org.
 
York County Libraries (YCL) strengthen the York County community and enrich individual lives. YCL includes 13 libraries that provide the latest in print and digital information, bestsellers, Wi-Fi, story times, book discussions, and over 50 databases. In addition to their extensive collection of 534,000 physical items, YCL offers over one million digital library materials for loan. All are available for free with a York County Libraries card. Community members without a card are invited to request one at yorklibraries.org at no cost.