HOUSTON– The Houston Public Library (HPL) is gearing up to face Baltimore’s Enoch Pratt Free Library’s friendly Book Bowl fundraiser throw-down challenge beginning Monday, November 27 through Tuesday, November 28, 2017. HPL is ready to win the challenge! But, we can’t do it without the participation of our great community. The Library is calling all football fans to gather their friends, coworkers and colleagues to give or pledge to give on Monday, November 27th.The Library needs your support to beat the Enoch Pratt Library. We’re HoUSton Strong and we’re a city of winners. Let’s win! For all the details of the challenge and how to participate visit: houstonlibrary.org or the HPL Foundation or call 832-393-1313.
Every year the Enoch Pratt Library of Baltimore reaches out to the library of their Monday Night Football competitor to extend a fundraising challenge in preparation for #GivingTuesday, a national day of giving. On Monday, November 27th, our Houston Texans play the Baltimore Ravens, and HPL and the HPL Foundation have accepted the opportunity to beat Baltimore at football and fundraising!
When the football game whistle blows that’s when the Book Bowl thrown down challenge begins. Get ready to give at 7:30 PM (game kick-off time) on November 27th until 11:59 PM, November 28, 2017. Houston will be competing dollar for dollar to beat the Baltimore library. Let’s get ready to win this thrown down!
HPL’s Fundraising Goal: A New Mobile Express
HPL is always willing and ready to jump into the community and lend a helping hand, especially with its Mobile Express unit which is able to bring the library to wherever the community is and where they need it! The library on wheels provides vital, personal and friendly assistance with access to technology, computer classes, study and homework help and engaging and interactive youth and family activities. The need is even more urgent as Houstonians are rebuilding from Hurricane Harvey, and HPL believes in rebuilding together. The Mobile Express has been in communities hardest hit by Hurricane Harvey providing much needed services and relief immediately after the storm, and it is not slowed since. HPL now has an urgent need for a new Mobile Express unit due to immense wear and tear. The cost this unit is $506,000. This is an aggressive goal, but HoUSton is strong and resilient and HPL believes in the strength of the Houston community to rebuild together and beat Baltimore at football and the Book Bowl challenge!
To supplement the regular programming offered by the several damaged HPL libraries, many communities have been mainly relying on HPL’s Mobile Express outreach units. Last year HPL’s Community Outreach team went to 826 events in the community, served 305 organizations, provided 448 programs, and made direct contact with over 21,000 people in 60 zip codes through the Mobile Express units. The mobiles successfully have extended library services to populations in need that their demand has risen year after year. Last fiscal year, 25,025 people needing service were turned down, because HPL didn’t have enough mobile units. Now the need is even greater, because these units are serving as libraries and technology hubs in the neighborhoods where libraries are now closed.
Watch the Texans beat the Ravens and START DONATING ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27 at 7:30 PM!
About the Houston Public Library
The Houston Public Library (HPL) operates 35 neighborhood libraries, four HPL Express Libraries, a Central Library, the Houston Metropolitan Research Center, the Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research, The African American Library at the Gregory School, and the Parent Resource Library located in the Children’s Museum of Houston. With more than eight million visits per year in person and online, HPL is committed to excellent customer service and equitable access to information and programs by providing library customers with free use of a diverse collection of printed materials and electronic resources, Internet, laptop and computer use, and a variety of database and reference resources with live assistance online 24/7.
For further information visit the Houston Public Library at www.houstonlibrary.org or on Twitter @houstonlibrary or call 832-393-1313.