Summer Business Application

Dear Gretna Business Owner/Manager,

We may be the luckiest public library in the country.  Every year, local businesses ask us how they can help support our mission to expand the minds and hearts of the people of Gretna during our Summer Learning Program.  As our city grows, so do the number of businesses and organizations reaching out to us.

If you’re one of those businesses who want to help but isn’t sure how, we’ve got several ways you can support our summer programming.

Donate a Prize for a Raffle Basket

If your business provides a good or service that you think would be a fabulous prize for a child, teen, or adult, we want to hear from you!  Participants from every age group have several prize baskets they could win through reading and activities, and when those baskets are sponsored by local businesses, it’s even better.  Prizes in a basket might be goods, certificates for a service, or gift cards.

Donate Monetarily

We give out hundreds of prizes each year, including hundreds of books.  We provide a wide variety of options so any participant can find something exciting.  Monetary donations help us purchase those books (nonfiction, adult fiction, graphic novels, and board books are among the most expensive), as well as prizes for raffle baskets or supplies for programming.

Sponsor a StoryWalk Page

In 2021, we started providing a StoryWalk in Peterson Park during the warmer months.  We take apart a book and then reassemble it on frames along the sidewalks so anyone can enjoy a story while they walk.  This project has become very popular and we receive many positive comments.  You can sponsor one of those pages for just $40 for the 2025 season, May-October. 

Image of example page for businesses in Summer Learning Program booklet
This is a prize page in our Kids’ summer booklet. For each hour they read, they earn a prize from a local business (like you!).

Sponsor a Prize for Kids and/or Teen Hourly Reading

Businesses have been supporting our summer program for years by giving prizes to students for each hour they read.  The businesses we work with tell us that they love when kids and teens visit them to claim their prizes each summer!  How does it work?  Participants record every 10 minutes they read online or on paper.  For each hour they read, they earn a prize from a local business (that’s you!) and go to the business to collect it.  Some families collect their prizes as they earn them; some save them up and collect their prizes at the end of the summer. 

If you’re interested in sponsoring a prize for hourly reading, see the guidelines on the application form.

Do you see a way in which you can help our Summer Learning Program be a success?  Just fill out the form linked below by March 8, 2025.  If you’re interested but still have questions, please reach out!  We’re happy to answer any questions. Thank you for considering a sponsorship for the Summer Learning Program!  We love to create partnerships, and we hope to continue promoting local businesses for many years to come!

Questions? Contact Jennifer or Heba at 402-502-9088, and we’ll be glad to help.

Click here to apply!