Dear Friend,

Welcome to the Tompkins County Public Library’s 2023 Readathon! We’re so glad you’re here and thank you for your generosity! 

The Readathon is one of two major TCPL Foundation fundraisers. You may have already gotten a letter from me in December for our end-of-year campaign last year. The TCPL Foundation directly supports the Library and your donation will go straight to our collection, programs, and staff development. 

We all have a Library Story – a core memory that impacted us and showed us the importance of libraries. I still remember going to the Chickasha Public Library growing up: they had a big clawfoot bathtub in the kids’ section that you could climb into for reading. I thought it was so cool! More impactful for me was seeing how libraries help those in need get connected to resources. From getting a thank you email from a family who received tornado recovery help from FEMA via library internet, computers, and printers; or a regular patron thanking me with tears in his eyes after staff helped him secure utility relief after COVID, libraries change lives and libraries save lives every day. 

It’s wild to see that book banning and censorship is alive and well in 2023. Public libraries are more important than ever as a sacred space in free society. Join us in making sure TCPL continues to thrive by donating today! 

I’ll see you at the opening AND closing of Readathon 2023. Thank you for supporting our Library!