The 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. The Michigan Credit Union League is offering to purchase copies of the Berenstain Bears' Trouble with Money for libraries that would like to sponsor Money Smart Week activities. 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/SM2014. Additional details can be found below. Please read on below to find out more concerning the materials that your library can receive through the effort. The deadline to sign up is December 13. Money Smart Week(r) (MSW) is rapidly approaching and we have a fabulous opportunity for your library! 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. Michigan libraries have a unique opportunity to obtain free copies of the Berenstain Bears' Trouble with Money book to give away to children - if your library agrees to host a story time event about money during Money Smart Week, April 5-12. The Michigan Credit Union League is offering to purchase copies of this book for you to hand out at a story time. They've also committed to providing free copies of Jean Chatzky's book, Money Rules for you to give parents bringing their children. National MSW Partners include the American Library Association and Financial Planning Association, 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 first-time home buying and retirement planning. The effort was created by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago in 2002. Money Smart Week partners will be hosting public events April 5-12, 2014. Between April 5-12, 2014 libraries and communities across the country will be hosting financial education events for people of all ages, including youth! Be sure to sign up your library to participate here in Michigan. To participate in the Smart Money Program for 2014, the expectations are: 1. Register your library as a Money Smart Week Partner today at www.moneysmartweek.org/partner<http://www.moneysmartweek.org/partner> 2. Plan a story time event about money to be held between April 5-12, 2014. 3. Request to participate in this initiative and the number of books you think you'll need, by completing this Survey Monkey questionnaire at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SM2014 before December 13. 4. By January 1st, login and register your event at www.MoneySmartWeek.org<http://www.MoneySmartWeek.org> 5. Promote your Money Smart Kids Read program through your normal 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!) 7. Take delivery of your books around March 3, 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 Berenstain Bears' Trouble with Money 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! 9. After your event takes place, enter your attendance numbers into the Money Smart Week website. 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, December 13! There is a limited budget, so it's first come, first served. The books will be shipped to Novi Public Library, sorted, packaged, and then distributed directly to your library. Your order should arrive at your library around March 3. For questions about the Money Smart Kids Read opportunity or other Money Smart Week programming ideas, contact: Kelly Masters Michigan Chairwoman MichiganChair@MoneySmartWeek.org<mailto:MichiganChair@MoneySmartWeek.org> 248-761-1762 --------------------- Shannon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shannon D. White Continuing Education Coordinator Library of Michigan 702 West Kalamazoo, P.O. Box 30007, Lansing, MI 48909-7507 Ph: 517-373-9489; Fax: 517-373-5700 Toll free: 877-479-0021 whites29@michigan.gov<mailto:whites29@michigan.gov> http://michigan.gov/libraryofmichigan