Did you see Penguin Random House author George Saunders's message?

Triple your gift to NYPL: Deadline Midnight! “Libraries have helped me find my voice and write my books.” – George Saunders We wanted to make sure you received George Saunders's email about our triple match. Access to physical books, as well as to e-books and audiobooks, keeps us connected, and is more important than ever. Today, we're raising money to expand our digital resources—e-books, audiobooks, online tutoring, programming, and more—so that we can continue to meet all of our patrons' needs now and in the future. Will you join us now and [make a gift to the Library while it will have three times the impact]( As a sign of our thanks, we'll send you a limited-edition NYPL magnet. Thank you from all of us at The New York Public Library. [View in browser]( [Forward]( [Donate]( [The New York Public Library Friends of the Library] [Triple your impact with Penguin Random House]( YOUR CAMPAIGN STATUS Email: {EMAIL} Match Gift Status: Eligible Deadline: Midnight Donate $100—We Receive $300 [Donate $100 now]( Donate $50—We Receive $100 [Donate $50 now]( Donate $25—We Receive $75 [Donate $25 now]( In my twenties, at loose ends, I took a break from my roofing job and went over to the main branch of my local library in the middle of the afternoon. That day at the library, there was a beautifully arranged display of literary journals, and I took a stack of them over to a table and started reading at random. That's how I found a short story by fellow Chicagoan Stuart Dybek. The writing was instantly recognizable as the language of the South Side, where I was from. And that encounter opened up everything for me and made my writing life possible; I suddenly saw the connection between the real world and the way it was represented in words. This kind of discovery could only have happened in a library. I was a roofer with $8 in my pocket—hardly the kind of cash that lets you splurge on 15 different literary journals—but I was free to walk in, sit down, start reading, and find the course of my life forever changed. That afternoon also made me a lifelong fan of libraries and the people who dedicate their lives to maintaining these democratic places, where anyone, no matter their background or economic circumstance, can enjoy free access to knowledge. And as you well know as a patron of libraries, knowledge is power. Today, I'm happy to report that my publisher, Penguin Random House, will triple match any gift made to The New York Public Library. Will you join me today and triple your impact on all the fortuitous and life-changing opportunities the Library encourages and makes possible for everyone who seeks out its resources? [Donate today and your gift goes 3x as far]( I came to literature late—in addition to working as a roofer, I've also worked as an engineer—and have been catching up with my reading ever since. I couldn't have written Lincoln in the Bardo or my story collections, Tenth of December and Liberation Day, or any of my other books without years of reading widely and often indiscriminately—even chaotically. In between books, while waiting for the next book to take hold of me, I'll delve into reading to replenish the well. I'm an unsystematic reader, and I love having access to as many books as I can get my hands on. I also remember the rich feeling of taking a break from my engineering studies at the Colorado School of Mines to wander through the stacks (especially the fiction section), reveling in the feel and smell of the books, dreaming of someday being part of that lineage. I know I'm not alone in this feeling that a library is, more than anything else, a place of great freedom: the freedom to explore, the freedom to alter oneself into a more alert and complete person. [Receive a limited-edition magnet when you donate today.]( [Don't miss out on Penguin Random House's triple match—donate now and triple your support for the vital resources only the Library can provide.]( Support free access to millions of books, e-books, research materials, and more for all New Yorkers, novelists and scholars and book lovers alike. When you do, you'll receive a limited-edition NYPL magnet as a sign of appreciation for your generosity. I know you share my belief that libraries are an integral part of our cities and communities, the place where our democracy says, “Knowledge is power.” Libraries have helped me find my voice and write my books. They've also continued to help millions of New Yorkers of all backgrounds discover the books and resources they need to improve in school, gain new career skills—or write the novel that they've been dreaming about. [Will you join Penguin Random House now in giving to The New York Public Library, and making sure readers can embark on life-altering explorations at their local library?]( Demand for NYPL's resources is growing, especially for digital resources like e-books and audiobooks. Additional support from generous library lovers like you is valuable as the Library works to expand its digital collections and ensure that readers everywhere retain access to books and other materials. Make a contribution now, while your gift will have three times the power, and receive a limited-edition NYPL magnet as a sign of thanks from the Library and from my publisher, Penguin Random House. [Donate today and your gift goes 3x as far]( Thank you for your generosity and for the work you do in helping readers find and connect with the books that call out to them and unlock the world. Warmly, [Author George Saunders profile][Liberation Day book cover by George Saunders] George Saunders The New York Public Library --------------------------------------------------------------- The New York Public Library is proud to continue the partnership with [Penguin Random House]( to triple the impact of our donors through a generous matching gift campaign. Penguin Random House knows that it takes great readers to make great writers and that the gifts from the campaign help to support the readers and writers who turn to the Library for inspiration and education. Government funding pays only a portion of The New York Public Library's operating expenses. The Library relies on the support of individual donors like you to protect our world-class collections, host exciting public programs, mount exhibitions, and more. If you wish to no longer receive messages like this one, [click here to be removed from fundraising emails](. --------------------------------------------------------------- This email was sent to {EMAIL}. [Donate]( | [Forward to a Friend]( | [Update Your Profile]( | [1-Click Unsubscribe from Fundraising Messages]( | [Privacy Policy]( | [Contact Us]( [The New York Public Library]( | Stephen A. Schwarzman Building | Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street | New York, NY 10018