Mission & Vision. https://foundation.dekalblibrary.org

The DeKalb Library Foundation is a 501(c)1 nonprofit organization.  Established in 1998, the mission of the DeKalb Library Foundation is to provide support for DeKalb County Public Library (DCPL) beyond public funding and to enrich the lives of DeKalb County citizens through educational, cultural and literary programs and services. The Foundation values a literate community, open access to information, and the library as a community gathering place.  The DeKalb Library Foundation envisions the DeKalb County Public Library as a resource for a lifetime of learning that will build an educated, informed DeKalb community.

DCPL has approximately 183,000 cardholders who visit the 23 library locations approximately 2.3 million times a year checking out more than three million items. In typical years, the Foundation’s support allows the library to offer hundreds of special programs.  A few of the larger programs are 1000 Books Before Kindergarten which supports family in reading early and often with their babies and young children; Summer Reading Program which offers books and special enrichment programming during the summer months; and the Take the Internet Home with You initiative which allows patrons to check out hotspot devices for use in their homes.  It is because of programs such as these that Georgia Public Library Service named DCPL the 2018 Library of the Year.