School Superintendent and City Officials to Speak at Annual Free Backpack Giveaway
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., August 5, 2016 – Library Director Barbara Gubbin, Duval County School Superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitti, and city officials will launch the expansion of the Jacksonville Public Library’s Student Card initiative to include all 120,000 DCPS students just in time for the new school year. The expansion is a result of the library and school district’s ongoing partnership and the success of the 2015/16 pilot program that used DCPS student IDs to create virtual library cards for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.
The expansion announcement will be held against the backdrop of the Friends of the Brentwood Library’s 3rd Annual Back-to-School Bash. Kids will receive free backpacks filled with school supplies, enjoy storytime, participate in 3-D printing demonstrations, and explore a real JFRD fire engine and more.
WHEN: Aug. 12, 3 p.m.
WHERE: Brentwood Branch Library
3725 Pearl Street – 32206
PHOTO OPS: Press Conference with Library Director Barbara A. B. Gubbin and DCPS School Superintendent Dr. Nikolai P. Vitti
Local children receiving free backpacks filled with school supplies and checking out books with their new Student Card
After the Student Card pilot program launched in September 2015, more than 25,000 students in kindergarten through second grades visited libraries on class field trips, and checked out nearly 33,000 books. Library staff made hundreds of visits to classrooms of students in third through fifth grade to demonstrate homework help and other resources.
This school year, in addition to all DCPS K-12th grade students receiving Student Cards, all kindergarten, fourth and seventh grade students will visit a library to learn about the myriad resources available to them including Brainfuse, an online homework help service that features live tutors seven days a week.
The Jacksonville Public Library is committed to making its programs accessible to all persons. If you need special accommodations, please call 630-0924 (TTY 630-1999) at least 72 hours prior to the event.
About the Jacksonville Public Library
The mission of the Jacksonville Public Library is to enrich lives, build community and foster success by bringing people, information and ideas together. Last year, more than 3.4 million visits were made to Jacksonville Public Libraries, items were checked out more than 5.9 million times, and nearly 11,000 programs and services were offered to Duval County residents at the Main Library and 20 branch locations. For more information about the Jacksonville Public Library, call 630-BOOK (2665) or visit jaxpubliclibrary.org.