Press Conference For Student & Educator JPL Cards A Great Success

The September 24 press conference to announce the partnership of JPL and the Duval County Public Schools to put library cards in the hands of 60,000 students, K-5th grade, was a resounding success. Library Director Barbara Gubbin and Dr. Nikolai P. Vitti (above) both spoke of the educational success this partnership will foster.  

Director Gubbin had this to say after the press conference today, "Putting books into the hands of young children seems a simple enough task but as we listened to Dr. Vitti, who articulated so well the barriers to making this happen, we were reminded again of how difficult this actually can be.  Instilling a love of reading because reading is easy and fun for a young child is one of the most important things that we can do as people who work in our library.  What you did today and the work Amber and the team of all our children’s librarians and their support teams at every library – circulation staff, reference librarians, custodians, security guards - everyone – are doing for 60,000 DCPS students and their teachers will have  positive outcomes for those children for many years to come.  Great job and thank you again!"

Mayor Lenny Curry addressed the conference and sang the praises of this partnership. Several of his staff also attended, along with DCPS Executive Director Larry Roziers, DCPS staff member Tia Ford, some Council Members, Library Board members Sybil Ansbacher, Gerald Reid, Mario Payne, Ronnie King, and former Board Chair and JPL liaison to the JPL Foundation Dr. Brenda Simmons-Hutchins, and some JPL staffs. Additionally, students of Garden City Elementary School enjoyed the Children's Department, engaged in story time, and checked out books using the new virtual Student Cards.