<div dir="ltr">Hello everyone! <div><br></div><div>We are excited to announce that through the efforts of all the Winter Reading Challenge participants, MD-LBPH is one of the top participating libraries in the Challenge. The library, as a top performer, will be given a prize that they can then use to enhance current services. The $35, 000+ is being generously donated by Mark Cuban and Beanstack (the tracking software we used) and will be split among the top libraries. LBPH will be using the funds to continue its promotion of literacy!</div><div><ul><li>Total read by LPBH patrons & staff: 240, 758 minutes</li></ul><div><b>Nationwide, there was a total of 13 million minutes read, and 153, 000 books! </b></div><div><br></div><div>A huge thanks go to our sponsors and partners (Facebook links embedded):</div><div><ul><li><font color="#000000"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/54344454247" class="gmail-highlight-facebook" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;text-decoration-line:none;outline:none;font-size:14px;line-height:1.71;font-family:Helvetica">National Federation of the Blind</a><span style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:14px"> Maryland Association of Blind Merchants; </span></font></li><li><font color="#000000"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:14px">National Federation of the Blind Sligo Creek Chapter;</span></font></li><li><font color="#000000"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:14px">National Federation of the Blind National Harbor Chapter;</span></font></li><li><font color="#000000"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:14px">National Federation of the Blind Newsline Service;</span></font></li><li><font color="#000000"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/180351718687388" class="gmail-highlight-facebook" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;text-decoration-line:none;outline:none;font-size:14px;line-height:1.71;font-family:Helvetica">National Federation of the Blind of Maryland (NFBMD)</a>;<span style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:14px"> </span></font></li><li><font color="#000000"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/164145273636606" class="gmail-highlight-facebook" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;text-decoration-line:none;outline:none;font-size:14px;line-height:1.71;font-family:Helvetica">National Federation of the Blind Central Maryland Chapter</a>;<span style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:14px"> </span></font></li><li><font color="#000000"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/1785538431687531" class="gmail-highlight-facebook" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;text-decoration-line:none;outline:none;font-size:14px;line-height:1.71;font-family:Helvetica">NFB of Maryland Greater Baltimore Chapter</a>;<span style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:14px"> </span></font></li><li><font color="#000000"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/1056119374446177" class="gmail-highlight-facebook" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;text-decoration-line:none;outline:none;font-size:14px;line-height:1.71;font-family:Helvetica">Towson/Lutherville/Cockeysville chapter of the NFB</a>;<span style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:14px"> </span></font></li><li><font color="#000000"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/1388372344762132" class="gmail-highlight-facebook" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;text-decoration-line:none;outline:none;font-size:14px;line-height:1.71;font-family:Helvetica">Friends of MD State Library for the Blind</a><span style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:14px"> </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/413733205487534" class="gmail-highlight-facebook" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;text-decoration-line:none;outline:none;font-size:14px;line-height:1.71;font-family:Helvetica">National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped</a>;<span style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:14px"> </span></font></li><li><font color="#000000"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/86543181644" class="gmail-highlight-facebook" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;text-decoration-line:none;outline:none;font-size:14px;line-height:1.71;font-family:Helvetica">The Maryland School for the Blind</a>;<span style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:14px"> </span></font></li><li><font color="#000000"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:14px">and </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/297619300344199" class="gmail-highlight-facebook" target="_blank" style="box-sizing:border-box;text-decoration-line:none;outline:none;font-size:14px;line-height:1.71;font-family:Helvetica">Zoobean</a><span style="font-family:Helvetica;font-size:14px">!</span> </font></li></ul></div><div>We also had several individuals donate prizes and incentives; Thank you for helping to make this a great event!</div><div><br></div><div>[Image: a large print book, an iPad with BARD mobile displayed and a talking book player are shown. Text surrounding the image "You did an amazing job. Congratulations! 13, 000, 000 minutes, and 153, 000 books read across the country!" Beanstack and LBPH logo shown.]</div><div><div><img src="cid:ii_jsg4zzdy1" alt="image.png" width="562" height="398" style="margin-right: 0px;"><br></div></div><div><br></div><div>Best,</div><div><br>Ashley</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div>-- <br></div></div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial;border-collapse:collapse">
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<p style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:9.5pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"> <span><img src="http://doit.maryland.gov/webcom/Documents/changingMD.png" width="95" height="96"></span><span></span></span></p>
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<p style="line-height:normal"><b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif">Ashley M. Biggs</span></b><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><br>
<i>Outreach Librarian</i><br>Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped<br>Maryland State Library<br>415 Park Avenue<br>Baltimore, Maryland 21201-3603<br>
<br>410-230-2430 (office) | 667-209-1563 (cell) | 410-333-2095 (fax)<br>
</span><a href="mailto:ashley.biggs1@maryland.gov" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1155cc">ashley.biggs1@maryland.gov</span></a><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></p>
<p style="line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#1155cc"><a href="http://www.lbph.maryland.gov/" target="_blank">http://www.lbph.maryland.gov</a></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"></span></p><p style="line-height:normal"><br></p><p style="line-height:normal"><a href="http://www.doit.state.md.us/selectsurvey/TakeSurvey.aspx?agencycode=MSDE&SurveyID=86M2956" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial">Click here</span></a><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;color:black;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-repeat:initial"> to complete a three-question customer experience survey.</span><br></p>
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