Today I am here to talk about the Pathway Partnership.

-Progress
-Impact
-Future

I do remember one young lady who was so thrilled to be able to use the library's offerings. Her smile was enormous! Her happiness was palpable!

I have also been able to log onto the computers for several kids with these cards and they were very grateful,

We knew we undertook this project that what we were doing was ground breaking, but how much so was not clear to us until after word of the project begin to circulate.

No one else in the country has done what we have done in exactly the same fashion. people are hungry for more.
- Libraries nation wide called us.
- State library summit, our program received gasps of amazement and I was approached during breaks by numerous librarians.
-Washington State Library conference, spoke on mobile digital reference for teens via ask a librarian. Only comment/request was for more information about Pathway.

The realization that libraries and schools can be powerful allies for a healthy, well informed community has been growing for years, as can be seen by this 2000 article, which includes quotes from as early as 1989.

April 30th, President called upon library directors to work with their mayors, school leaders, and school librarians, to create or strengthen partnerships so that every child enrolled in school can receive a library card.

All the effort is worth it to achieve our goals!

What are our goals?

...

Valuable interaction

-We have presented library services and databases to the middle and high school principals and all the school counselors
-We have created presentations about library services for educators to use
-The school librarians hosted their end of year meeting hear and the Battle of the Books was at the public library
-We are planning to work with the schools this summer to partner on college readiness workshops and to reduce summer slide through the summer reading program

through innovative library services stimulate the development of literacy, knowledge, wisdom, critical thought, and valuable interaction that yields positive experiences and a thriving community.

Mr. Savage of the school of the arts, who with his colleagues brought over 300 humanities students to do research at the Main Library and whose classes increased the usage of Ask-A-Librarian online research service astronomically expressed appreciation for the "tremendous usefulness the Pathway Partnership has provided our students."

Hallie Johnston, Teacher-Librarian at Wilson High School said, "Students have been very excited about databases for research."

Today we are asking you to extend our partnership for a second year and widen it to include prek and elementary students. Elementary students are even more at risk, and access to a materials is often one of the greatest barriers to reading for pleasure and literacy.

This partnership is not something which will develop and strengthen without a lot of hard work.

-We have presented library services and databases to the middle and high school principals and all the school counselors
-We have created presentations about library services for educators to use
-Visits from schools for research and information literacy purposes have increased
-The school librarians hosted their end of year meeting hear and the Battle of the Books was at the public library
-We are planning to work with the schools this summer to partner on college readiness workshops and to reduce summer slide through the summer reading program