Join Mayor Gary Davis at the Elk Grove Library Dec. 10

10 a.m. event celebrates donation of two iPads made possible by Elk Grove Friends

Elk Grove Mayor Gary Davis will be among those at the Elk Grove Library on Tuesday, December 10, at 10 a.m. to mark the donation of two iPads to the Kids’ Area of the Library.

The Friends of the Elk Grove Library raised the $1,120 needed to purchase the iPads over the summer using the website Citizen Investor. The Friends provided a dollar-for-dollar match for the $560 gifted by two dozen outside donors who gave to the “App a Day—Children Engaged” promotion.

The iPads will be permanently installed in the Kids’ Area of the Library, mounted in secure housings at the height of toddlers and small children. iPads are popular with children, who use them for educational games and as interactive storybook eReaders.

"The new iPads are a gift to Elk Grove children, and will be a great way to help kids learn and love to learn," said Mayor Davis. "I'm proud to be part of a program that promotes early literacy and learning to prepare Elk Grove's youngest residents for Kindergarten."

Earlier this year, Mayor Davis approached the Elk Grove Friends about the project, then worked with Citizen Investor. They ultimately raised nearly $6,000 from multiple sources to buy not only the iPads but five Google Chromebook laptops that will be installed in the Teen area at the Elk Grove Library in the coming weeks.

Elk Grove Friends president Rick Mercer said that it is important for libraries to keep up with current technology: “We needed to be able to reach out to teens, toddlers, and their parents with more current products that people might not be able to buy but do want to use.”

Elk Grove is home to two of the most popular branches in the Sacramento Public Library, the other being the Franklin Library, the second-most-visited Library in the system.

Citizen Investor is a website that allows visitors to “Invest in the public project you care most about.” Investors pledge money, but only pay once the full amount needed to complete a project has been promised.

Event details:

Elk Grove Library

8900 Elk Grove Blvd., Elk Grove

10 a.m. Tuesday, December 10

Media contact:

Malcolm Maclachlan

Public Information Coordinator

Sacramento Public Library

916 264 2919

mmaclachlan@saclibrary.org