Giving Tuesday
Literacy Legacy Fund of Michigan donated new books to various small rural libraries throughout Upper and Lower Michigan as part of an extended GivingTuesday celebration. The 2024 book selected was Inspire the World: A Kid’s Journey to Making a Difference by author Sammie Vance, an eight-year-old girl who wanted to make a difference. Sammie involved her family and friends, school, and community in a special recycling project that led to the creation of “Buddy Benches” to help kids who felt lonely. The book and projects have inspired people around the world to demonstrate acts of generosity. This is LLF Michigan’s third year hosting this project. Laura Lamp, Advisory Group member, assisted with the identification and distribution of books to sites in Lower Michigan this year.
Twenty-five books were distributed to rural libraries in Alger, Antrim, Baraga, Chippewa, Delta, Kent, Mackinac, Marquette, Presque Isle, and Tuscola counties by various LLF Michigan leadership. Several of the libraries hosted special GivingTuesday projects* and a reel was created on the project. Libraries who received a book included:
- AuTrain-Onota Public Schools Library
- Bayliss Public Library
- Burt Township Library
- Forsyth Township Public Library*
- Ishpeming Carnegie Public Library*
- Kent District Libraries: Alto*, Caledonia Township, and Englehardt (Lowell)*
- Mackinac Island Public Library
- Mancelona Township Library
- Mayville District Public Library
- Millington-Arbela District Library
- Munising School Public Library
- Negaunee Public Library*
- Ojibwa Community Library*
- Powell Township School Library*
- Presque Isle District Libraries*: Grand Lake, Millersburg, Onaway, Posen, and Rogers City
- Republic Michigamme School Public Library
- Richmond Township Library*
- Superior Central School Library
- Wells Township School Library.
The GivingTuesday organization featured the project as part of a special case study of unique projects held as part of this annual celebration. Additional information is provided below.
*Organizations hosting special GivingTuesday generosity projects.
Interested in inspiring generous acts in your community?
We encourage you to download the Toolkit above to use along with the book, Inspire the World: A Kid’s Journey to Making a Difference to invite others to participate in GivingTuesday and other projects throughout the year. Generosity is always in season! Whether you use the Toolkit to invite recycling efforts or a number of other generous acts, you can inspire others to make a difference. Click the image above to download the Toolkit.
During the implementation of its expanded GivingTuesday project, LLF Michigan was invited by the GivingTuesday organization to participate in a case study in 2025. The project focused on LLF Michigan efforts to support literacy initiatives through book donations to small rural libraries to encourage generosity among youth and adults. Provided below is a recap of the 2024 GivingTuesday project case study.
APPROACH
Building on its previous GivingTuesday book distribution efforts, LLF Michigan expanded its project by distributing copies of the book Inspire the World: A Kid’s Journey to Making a Difference, by young author and GivingTuesday Spark Leader Sammie Vance, to 25 small rural libraries across Upper and Lower Michigan. The book encourages generosity by sharing the author’s journey to create “Buddy Benches” from recycled materials to reduce loneliness among children. In addition to books, libraries received toolkits and were encouraged to invite youth and adult visitors to read, engage in generous acts, and share their efforts with the library.
RESULTS
In addition to providing 25 small rural libraries with new books, 12 libraries participated in special projects encouraging acts of generosity. Activities included the creation of woodland ornaments with hand-written greetings in Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) delivered to Tribal family services recipients; placemats, window clings and greeting cards for area senior centers and veterans; bookmarks for library patrons; and decorated lunch bags for food baskets for low-income children created by area youth. Other libraries invited participants to note their acts of generosity on project posters using toolkits.
KEY FINDINGS
- Rural outreach response is better in person.
Greater connection is created when you can meet face-to-face with rural library staff, which increases potential for participation and reinforces their commitment to the project. - Young people are excited to give back. Kids of all ages were excited to put effort into activities that would bring enjoyment and reduce loneliness for others.
- Giving one book does make a difference. One book at each libraries inspired multiple acts of generosity in small rural communities.
If you have any questions about this project, or the case study information, please contact llfmichigan@gmail.com.