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G2S Project Code: 2014-PA-73030
State: Pennsylvania
Fiscal Year: 2014
Grantee
SAINT MARYS PUBLIC LIBRARY

Project Director
Director Name: Leslie Swope
Director Phone: 814-834-6141
Director Email: library@stmaryslibrary.org
General Information
Title: My Money Sense
State Project Code: 4100069313
Start Date: 01/15/2015
End Date: 08/31/2015
Abstract:

First half of the grant period- The library provided new materials and programs to the community of St. Marys. These new services increased and will continue to increase the understanding of basic personal financial topics for all age groups. The benefit was preparing patrons for their futures by providing them with the tools they need to get out of debt, stay out of debt and plan for the future. These tools provided patrons with less stress due to their finances and improved their quality of life by showing them how to live within their means.

The library collected pre-surveys to gage the beginning knowledge and interest of the public to help in planning programs and purchasing new materials. The library contacted the local high school and credit union to begin planning a reality fair to get a realistic look at what their financial situation will be like when they are 25. The library has created a list of book materials to purchase. The library has begun the first session of Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University to help our community members learn about budgeting and getting out of debt. The library has planned a children's storytime and a teen program for Money Smart Week. The library has contacted two local banks about future programs.

Second half of grant period- The library's first session of Financial Peace University ended.  Participants learned a lot about managing their personal finances, the types of insurance and investing plans they should have, and how to be a savvy consumer.  The library has a wait list for the third session to be held in the winter. 

This program meets every week for nine weeks, and builds upon the knowledge participants learned in previous weeks.  It gives the participants homework and they discuss what they have done financial during the week at the programs.  The programs gives the participants a support group of people in the same mindset, and they are able to talk to each other about their successes and failures.  At the halfway point in the course, the difference is visible.  The participants are actively participating in discussions and are beginning to see a change in their personal habits.  Participants leave the course with three monthly budgets completed.  This makes the budgeting process easier, as it takes a few months to learn how to do a successful budget.

The library created a finance program for children and for teens both of these programs were held two times each.  One of each was done during Money Smart Week in April and the other was done in July during the Summer Reading Programs.  The children's program was for elementary aged children.  They listened to four stories that talked about saving, earning and spending money.  The children were then given coins for a Craft Market.  The children were given different options on a piggy bank craft they could complete.  They had to buy their supplies for the craft.  The children learned that once their money was gone, they could not purchase anything else.  The benefit was to help them understand how money works in the real world.  Their parents did not have extra coins they could use to buy supplies if they ran out.  The children learned that you cannot buy everything that you want. 

Attendance at both of these programs was low.  During the middle of September children in Kindergarten and First grade came for a library tour.  At the end of the tour, the children heard the story Just Saving My Money by Mercer Mayer and were given small cardboard banks to encourage them to save money.  A play cash register and grocery store set were purchased for the library's play program to introduce the youngest group to play with money.

The teen program started with thinking of something for which they would like to save.  The teens drew a picture of that or wrote down the goal.  That paper was put into a shadow box (a picture frame with a large space between the glass and the frame.  The teens were instructed to take the frame home with them and to use it like a piggy bank.  Money inside it would only go towards meeting that goal.  This provided teens with a visual aid to help them in saving money.  The benefit is that they would learn to save money instead of buying things off credit when they are old enough for loans or credit cards.

The second part of the teen program was a blind taste testing of name brand versus generic foods.  The teens learned that the name brand is not always better and that a lot of money can be saved by buying off brands.  The major takeaway was that bottled water tastes identical to filtered tap water and that they could save hundreds of dollars each year by making that switch.  Teens had a discussion about ways they could save money on name brands (couponing and waiting for them to go on sale).  The discussion and taste test will help them save money on groceries in the future and keep them open to trying new things.

The library finished purchasing all materials, processed them, and put them out for circulation.  These materials provided for patrons to learn about a larger range of topics.  Also, these materials are available for patrons anytime they are interested in a topic in the future.  The benefit is having the information available when they need it on topics they are interested in.  The library also purchased ebooks and eaudios.  These materials are available to everyone in our district stretching the number of people this grant might benefit.

A Reality Fair is being planned for late fall and will be open to all juniors and seniors in the county.  Reality Fairs are provided by the Pennsylvania Credit Union Association.  The fair gives high school students a realistic outlook on what life will be like when they are 25 years old.  The students are given a realistic starting salary for the field they want to work in, student loan payments (if applicable).  The students then visit tables representing housing, transportation, utilities, entertainment, phone, cable, etc.  The students budget in the types of services they want, and then they have to evaluate their budget and go back to the stations and make adjustments.  This program will teach students that they will not be able to afford a sports car on a starting salary and that they need to watch how much student loans they take out.  They will learn what real costs are associated with being an adult, and they will learn how to create a realistic budget.  The benefit is having students prepared for the real world before they make mistakes.


State Goal: Create opportunities for libraries to enhance their capacity to provide 21st Century resources, services and programs to their communities.
Budget Information
LSTA
MATCH-State
MATCH-Other
Total
$8,266.29
$0.00
$16.67
$8,282.96
Intent(s)
Improve users' ability to apply information that furthers their personal, family or household finances.
Personal Finance
Activities
Activity Details
Title: Creation of Program Announcements
Narrative: Creation of content aimed at raising awareness of the project funded program.
Intent: Improve users' ability to apply information that furthers their personal, family or household finances.

Activity: Content
Mode: Creation
Format: Physical


Quantity
Number of items digitized: 0
Number of items digitized and available to the public: 0
Number of physical items: 550
Number of open-source applications/software/systems: 0
Number of proprietary applications/software/systems: 0
Number of learning resources (e.g. toolkits, guides): 0
Number of plans/frameworks: 0


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: Yes
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: Targeted
Geographic community of the targeted group: Rural
For what age groups: All Ages
For what economic types: Below Poverty
For what ethnicity types: Ethnicity Not Applicable
Is the activity directed at families: No
Is the activity directed at intergenerational groups: No
Is the activity directed at immigrants/refugees: No
Is the activity directed at those with disabilities: No
Limited functional literacy or informational skills: No
Is the activity category not already captured: No


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: St Marys Public Library
Address: 127 Center Street
City: St. Marys
State: PA
Zip: 15857

Activity Details
Title: Money Market Program
Narrative: Financial literacy program created specifically for children and young adults.  Sessions held in conjunction with Money Smart Week & Summer Reading Programs
Intent: Improve users' ability to apply information that furthers their personal, family or household finances.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Program
Format: In-person


Quantity
Session length (minutes): 45
Number of sessions in program: 1
Average number in attendance per session: 7
Number of times program administered: 2


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: Yes
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: Targeted
Geographic community of the targeted group: Rural
For what age groups: 6-12 years
18-25 years
For what economic types: Economic Not Applicable
For what ethnicity types: Ethnicity Not Applicable
Is the activity directed at families: Yes
Is the activity directed at intergenerational groups: No
Is the activity directed at immigrants/refugees: No
Is the activity directed at those with disabilities: No
Limited functional literacy or informational skills: No
Is the activity category not already captured: No


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: St Marys Public Library
Address: 127 Center Street
City: St. Marys
State: PA
Zip: 15857

Activity Details
Title: Teen Money Program
Narrative: Teen specific financial literacy program focused around goal setting, savings and financial decision making.
Intent: Improve users' ability to apply information that furthers their personal, family or household finances.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Program
Format: In-person


Quantity
Session length (minutes): 45
Number of sessions in program: 1
Average number in attendance per session: 3
Number of times program administered: 2


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: Yes
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: Targeted
Geographic community of the targeted group: Rural
For what age groups: 13-17 years
For what economic types: Economic Not Applicable
For what ethnicity types: Ethnicity Not Applicable
Is the activity directed at families: No
Is the activity directed at intergenerational groups: No
Is the activity directed at immigrants/refugees: No
Is the activity directed at those with disabilities: No
Limited functional literacy or informational skills: No
Is the activity category not already captured: No


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: St Marys Public Library
Address: 127 Center Street
City: St. Marys
State: PA
Zip: 15857

Activity Details
Title: Financial Peace Univeristy Program
Narrative: A 9 week financial literacy program for adults.
Intent: Improve users' ability to apply information that furthers their personal, family or household finances.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Program
Format: In-person


Quantity
Session length (minutes): 120
Number of sessions in program: 9
Average number in attendance per session: 105
Number of times program administered: 2


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: Yes
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: Targeted
Geographic community of the targeted group: Rural
For what age groups: 18-25 years
26-49 years
50-59 years
60-69 years
70+ years
For what economic types: Below Poverty
For what ethnicity types: Ethnicity Not Applicable
Is the activity directed at families: Yes
Is the activity directed at intergenerational groups: No
Is the activity directed at immigrants/refugees: No
Is the activity directed at those with disabilities: No
Limited functional literacy or informational skills: No
Is the activity category not already captured: No


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: St Marys Public Library
Address: 127 Center Street
City: St. Marys
State: PA
Zip: 15857

Activity Details
Title: Focused Collection Development
Narrative: Grant funding allowed for the purchase of a collection of financial resources in print, e-audio and e-book formats.
Intent: Improve users' ability to apply information that furthers their personal, family or household finances.

Activity: Content
Mode: Lending
Format: Combined physical & digital


Quantity
Total number of items circulated: 76
Average number of items circulated / month: 55
Total number of ILL transactions: 0
Average number of ILL transactions / month: 0


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: Yes
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: Targeted
Geographic community of the targeted group: Rural
For what age groups: All Ages
For what economic types: Below Poverty
Unemployed
For what ethnicity types: Ethnicity Not Applicable
Is the activity directed at families: Yes
Is the activity directed at intergenerational groups: No
Is the activity directed at immigrants/refugees: No
Is the activity directed at those with disabilities: Yes
Limited functional literacy or informational skills: Yes
Is the activity category not already captured: No


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: St Marys Public Library
Address: 127 Center Street
City: St. Marys
State: PA
Zip: 15857
Project Outcomes
Project Outcomes
List any important findings or outcomes from your project:
Patrons’ basic understanding of financial concepts will increase. Patrons will learn how to make good financial decisions. They will incorporate these concepts into their daily lives. Their outlook on their finances will change, and their spending behaviors will change Child and teen patrons will be exposed to financial literacy at a young age.
Please briefly describe importance of findings:
The knowledge will provide the individuals with a sense of empowerment over their finances. The knowledge will provide the individuals with a sense of empowerment over their finances. Financial strain will lessen improving quality of life. Financial strain will lessen improving quality of life. Will better prepare children to make sound financial decisions in the future.
What methods did you use to determine your findings? Check all that apply:
Survey
Interview/Focus Group
Participant Observation
Based on outputs, outcomes and/or other results, explain any significant lessons learned from these findings for either the SLAA or others in the LIS field:
Need to distribute at Senior Center next time The Dave Ramsey class has shown that repeated exposure works best. There are many lessons that need re-iterated each week. Through the programs and new materials patrons learn new concepts to help with debt reduction and following a budget. The Dave Ramsey class participants became more familiar with planning a budget and sticking to it. They are learned how to adapt the ideas they are learning to their daily lives. The Dave Ramsey class participants became more familiar with planning a budget and sticking to it. They learned how to adapt the ideas they are learning to their daily lives. By introducing money issues in a fun way children begin to think about responsible ways to handle their money to better their future.
Do you anticipate continuing this project after the current reporting period ends:
Yes
Do you anticipate any change in level of effort:
No
Do you anticipate any change in the project's scope:
No
Do you anticipate any other changes in the project:
No
Exemplary: No
Exemplary Narrative
Project Tags: financial literacy