EAST LONGMEADOW – The East Longmeadow Public Library (ELPL) is seeking donations of new pajamas for children who are homeless or part of low-income families.

The collection is part of the ninth annual Cradles to Crayons/Boston Bruins PJ Drive, a statewide effort to provide nightwear for children 12 and under.

Last year the collaboration collected 6,100 sets of new pajamas. This year’s goal is 6,750.

“We did it last year, but we didn’t have as good a response as we would have hoped,” ELPL Children’s Librarian Jennifer Kinder told Reminder Publications. “So this year we are going to try to promote it a little bit more widely. The whole library, this time, is going to be involved instead of just the Children’s Department.”

The official kick-off for the event on Feb. 3 will feature library staff wearing pajamas in support of the fundraising effort, which ends March 9, she said.

At 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 3 the library will also host a pajama story time event, Kinder noted.

Kinder said the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners invited all the libraries within the state to participate in this service project.

“Last year, the involvement of the libraries really increased the amount of pajamas that were donated,” she noted.

She added the ELPL chose to support the drive because of the cause.

“[This] is something that could really help a child who is either homeless or low income [and make them] feel safe and loved,” Kinder said. “It just felt like a worthwhile cause to be involved in … I believe they make an effort to have pajamas that were donated [in Western Massachusetts] sent here. It’s not just going to serve children in one part of the state.”

The library will have a drop-off box available for donations on Feb. 1. Monetary donations are also accepted and any checks should be made out to Cradles to Crayons.

A list of needed pajama sizes is available at the library. For questions or additional information, call the ELPL Children’s Department at 525-5400, ext. 1506.