The Library of Michigan is pleased to encourage libraries to join the 2015 Money Smart Week collaboration. Money Smart Week partners and Novi Public Library are working together to provide public libraries in Michigan with books and materials to encourage both children and parents to learn about financial literacy. Financial literacy is a core 21st Century skill for all age groups. During Money Smart Week 2014, Michigan libraries across the state held more than 100 story times and gave away donated books to more than 3,000 families in 38 counties. Please consider participating in this wonderful opportunity for your community members. We would also like to thank Julie Farkas at the Novi Public Library for her role in helping coordinate this program for Michigan Libraries. For more information and to find details on how your library can participate in the Money Smart Week initiative visit, https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SM2015. Randy Riley, State Librarian --------------------------------------------------- Money Smart Week(r) (MSW) is just around the corner and we have a fabulous opportunity for you to give away free books to children attending a story time at your library between April 18-25, 2015! MSW is a public awareness campaign designed to help consumers better manage their personal finances. This is achieved through the collaboration and coordinated effort of hundreds of organizations across the country including financial institutions and other businesses, schools, libraries, not-for-profits, places of worship, government agencies and the media. National MSW Partners include the American Library Association and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, among others. These groups work together once a year to stress the importance of financial education, inform consumers about where they can get help and provide free educational seminars and activities throughout the week. Programming is offered to all demographics, ages and income levels, and covers all facets of personal finance from savings basics and establishing a budget, to estate and retirement planning. The effort was created by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago in 2002. Between April 18-25, 2015, libraries and communities across the country will be hosting financial education events for people of all ages, including youth! With the generous support of the Michigan Credit Union League & Affiliates, Michigan libraries have a unique opportunity to obtain free copies of The Berenstain Bears' Dollars and Sense book to give away to families participating in a story time you host during Money Smart Week, April 18-25. Michigan libraries in 85 districts successfully participated in "Money Smart Kids Read" last year, giving away 3,300 books. This year's book is geared toward children, ages 4-7 years old. http://www.randomhousekids.com/books/detail/12168-the-berenstain-bears-dolla... What does it mean to "participate" you ask? 1. Register your library as a Money Smart Week Partner today at http://www.MoneySmartWeekPartners.org . NOTE: if you registered as a Partner last year, you are still considered a Partner and will use the same username and password to login again this year. 2. Plan a story time event about money to be held between April 18-25, 2015. Ideal age group: 4-7 year-olds. 3. Request to participate in this initiative and the number of books you think you'll need, by completing the Survey Monkey questionnaire at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SM2015 before Friday, November 21. Once we review how many books have been requested, we will let you know by email how many copies of the book your library will receive to give away. 4. By January 1st, login and register your event at www.MoneySmartWeekPartners.org<http://www.MoneySmartWeekPartners.org>. 5. Proactively promote your Money Smart Kids Read program through all of your channels of communication. 6. Consider ways in which volunteers from your local community credit union can participate (help checking families in, passing out the books, helping with crafts, serving refreshments, etc. Whatever would be helpful to you!) If someone from your local credit union reaches out to you, please be sure to engage them. 7. Take delivery of your books in mid-March via the statewide delivery system (RIDES or TLN), and store them until the time of your event. 8. At your event, announce that your story time is part of the national Money Smart Week initiative, read the Berenstein Bears Dollars and Sense book (and other relevant, age-appropriate books from your collection), perhaps do a craft activity (decorate piggy banks, color pictures that feature money, etc.), and then hand out the free books to families who attend! a. Note: The Dollars and Sense story is geared toward children 4-7 years old. So, if the age of the children attending your story time is younger than 4, you may choose to read a portion of the Dollars and Sense story and ask the parents to finish the story at home with their child. 9. After your event takes place, enter your attendance numbers into the Money Smart Week website. www.MoneySmartWeekPartners.org<http://www.MoneySmartWeekPartners.org> Yep. It can be that easy. (Although, if you want to plan more money-related events for youth or adults, we can help you with that too!) There must be a catch, right? Here it is: the Michigan Money Smart Week Chairwoman needs to know how many copies of the free books you can use by Friday, November 21! There is a limited budget, so it's first come, first served. In order to accommodate as many libraries as possible, some orders may be adjusted. If this occurs, you will be notified. The books will be shipped to Novi Public Library (thank you Julie Farkas!), sorted, packaged, and distributed through the statewide delivery service (RIDES or TLN). Your order should arrive at your library mid-March. Please complete the Survey Monkey questionnaire to request participation in Michigan's Money Smart Kids Read initiative, and obtain free books for families in your community. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SM201<https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SM2014>5 Questions about this initiative or Money Smart Week in general? Feel free to contact Michigan Money Smart Week Chairwoman, Kelly Masters, directly at 248.761.1762 or MichiganChair@MoneySmartWeek.org<mailto:MichiganChair@MoneySmartWeek.org>.