BRATTLEBORO — In November 2014, the Brooks Memorial Library Board of Trustees and the Friends of Brooks Memorial Library board and membership joined together to launch an annual appeal - the first ever in the library's history.
Prospective donors were asked to think about how the library serves them - be they regular visitors who are rarely without at least one book or video on loan, or even too-infrequent members who don't get to the library often but couldn't be more proud to call it, glowingly, “my library.”
The goal for the campaign was $17,500.
“We wanted to ensure as best we could that we'd be able to hit our target, or at least come close,” said Jerry Goldberg, president of the board. “I'm delighted to report that as of Jan. 5 we have comfortably reached and even exceeded our goal. This is thrilling for us in this first ever effort, and we couldn't be more grateful to the over 150 who have shown their support of the institution they obviously so respect and value.”
Mary Ide, president of The Friends of Brooks Memorial Library, whose nonprofit status permits the processing of tax-deductible donations, said, “According to the Friends' mission, the funds raised in this campaign will be dedicated to helping the library keep the collection current - with the depth and breadth the communities served by BML demand and deserve. We are most grateful to all contributors.”
Although the library as a municipal department is supported by the community through the tax disbursements, said long-time Library Director Jerry Carbone, “given increasingly heavy demands and relatively flat tax revenues, the library, like other town services, must find every way it can to meet the community's demands.
“We'd become increasingly aware that many of our sister libraries around the state have run fundraising campaigns – some for years - and thought we'd see how we could make it work here. This response to our appeal is most encouraging,” Carbone said.
According to veteran trustee Goldberg, financial support is not the only way the library community demonstrates how it feels about BML.
“Our library is way up there in the hearts and minds of the 7,300 active and engaged members, as well as of the exemplary staff and volunteers who keep the organization humming. It's an honor to be part of the Brooks family,” he explained.
In the coming weeks, library staff - with input from the trustees - will develop a list of potential projects to forward to the Friends of Library executive board for consideration.
These projects will be in line with what the Friends of Library supports: collections, programs, and technology.