Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the Chapel Hill Public Library Foundation, and why is it important to our public Library?
The Chapel Hill Public Library Foundation was established in 1997 as a private, tax-exempt 501 c 3 non-profit organization operating with its own board of directors. Original assets of the Foundation came from the Cornelia Spencer Love Trust, established in 1981, and managed by the Town before the Foundation took responsibility. The mission of the Foundation is to develop and encourage long term financial health and growth of the Library through annual gifts, endowment and capital contributions. The Foundation's top priority is to enrich our community by helping our Library collections grow.
2. What is the Ensuring Excellence campaign?
Ensuring Excellence is a special purpose, capital campaign that will help the Library move up from its current level of good service (2.6 books per capita) to the next level of excellence (4 books per capita.) It is a major fundraising effort that begins in 2006 and ends in 2011. The goal is to secure significant private support to purchase new print and non-print materials and shelving. Ensuring Excellence will help provide our community with approximately 68,000 new items for loan as part of an "opening day collection" in 2011, when the Library expansion is scheduled for completion.
3. Is "9300 Books Now" a part of the Ensuring Excellence campaign?
Yes. "9300 Books Now" is the first phase of the Ensuring Excellence Campaign. $300,000 will be raised to purchase 9300 books (and shelving) for our Library -- for placement in the current space. It will be a tight squeeze, but 3000 more juvenile and young adult books, and 6300 more adult books can be accommodated. "9300 Books Now" will make more books available to readers before the Library building expansion is complete.
4. Why does the Chapel Hill Public Library need support beyond what the citizens pay in taxes and approved bond issues?
The Library is supported mostly from municipal funds with some limited funds coming from Orange County and the State of North Carolina. The bond issues that were passed in 1986 and in 2003 largely support building initiatives, with most of the funds spent on bricks and mortar. Although the Town of Chapel Hill spends approximately 4% of its General Fund each year on overall support for the Library, the Library's book budget is barely within the top third of public libraries in North Carolina. Private support is critical if our Library is to own a collection of appropriate size for our community of readers.
5. Why should I give to the Chapel Hill Public Library Foundation instead of giving directly to the Chapel Hill Public Library?
Since the Library is a Department of the Town of Chapel Hill, gifts given directly to the Library become part of the Town's assets and are subject to strict budgetary processes. Gifts to the Town are not tax-deductible. As a result, many foundations, corporations, and individuals will not make grants or gifts directly to a governmental institution. Since the Foundation is a nonprofit organization, gifts to the Foundation are tax-deductible. Foundation contributions may be invested in more flexible and competitive ways, yielding more growth than the Town can offer. Finally, private contributions allow the Library access to a funding stream necessary to respond to emerging needs. Many of these are not identified prior to the Town's budget process, or perhaps were not funded through that process. Also, special opportunities may arise after the budget year begins.
6. What is the relationship between the Chapel Hill Public Library, the Carrboro Library and Cybrary, and the Orange County Library?
The Orange County Library is part of the Hyconeechee Regional Library System that serves Orange, Chatham and Person counties. The Carrboro Library and Cybrary are branches of the Orange County Library. The Chapel Hill Public Library is an independent municipal library and separate from the Orange County Library. It is the second largest of nine municipal libraries in North Carolina, with the High Point Public Library being the largest.
7. What is the difference between the Chapel Hill Public Library Foundation and The Friends of the Chapel Hill Public Library?
The Friends of the Chapel Hill Public Library and the Foundation complement one another. The Friends is a membership organization that focuses on the Library's short-term needs through volunteerism and financial support, especially in programs for children and adults. The Friends organize and conduct book sales each year and the proceeds are directed to the Library for book purchases, equipment needs, and programming. The Foundation focuses on the long-term financial health and growth of the Library, building its resources mostly through capital contributions, grants, endowment, and annual gifts. The Board of Director's for the Foundation includes representatives from the Friends of the Chapel Hill Public Library.
8. What is the relationship between the Chapel Hill Public Library, the Chapel Hill Public Library Foundation, and the Town of Chapel Hill?
The Chapel Hill Public Library became a Department of the Town in 1976. Today, the lion's share of funding for the Library comes from the Town of Chapel Hill. The Foundation is completely separate from the Town and from the Library, since it is a 501c 3 non-profit organization. The Foundation's Board of Directors includes a representative from the Town Council and from the Town Library Board of Trustees. The Library Director is an ex-officio member.
9. What difference will the Ensuring Excellence campaign funds make?
Ensuring Excellence campaign funds will bridge the gap between public support for the Library and the real cost of bringing the Library up from its current standard of good service to a new level of excellence. Our Library is the busiest public library in North Carolina, with about 230 books checked out each hour the Library is open. But our Library is challenged to keep up with reader demand and population growth. Ensuring Excellence will help the Library reach the goals laid out in the Town of Chapel Hill's 2003 Library Master Plan. Specifically, Ensuring Excellence will allow the Library collections to increase so that instead of having 2.6 books per capita, we will have 4.0 books per capita, a recommended standard and a figure more in line with our community's patterns of library use and its needs.
10. How will the Ensuring Excellence campaign funds be spent?
Ensuring Excellence funds will be spent on the purchase of high-interest books, audio books, audio music recordings, educational DVDs, electronic books and other electronic material, and shelving. Library staff will select and oversee the processing of materials for loan. Funds designated for the capital campaign will be spent immediately to purchase materials. Endowed funds will be invested and managed by the Foundation, and all earned income is directed to the library each year to supplement public funding. Foundation fundraising costs will be kept to a minimum.
11. Will the Chapel Hill Public Library Foundation's private fundraising cause Town and County funding for the Library to decrease?
No. The Town of Chapel Hill is committed to continuing its strong support of the Library, but with many competing demands for Town funds, the Town is hard-pressed to substantially increase its level of funding. Orange County provides approximately 12% of our Library's operating budget each year. The County receives occasional requests from the Town to increase its funding for the Library as the County population grows. Today, America's premiere public libraries are supported by a combination of public and private funding.
12. What if I want to donate money to be used by the Library for something other than books?
The Foundation will accept gifts that support the stated mission of the Chapel Hill Public Library. For example, the Cornelia Spencer Love Trust, managed by the Foundation, is a fund that has been used for a variety of purposes, including increasing the public access to the Internet, improving the Library's automation system and online catalog, and programming, such as the first "One Community, One Book" event in February 2006.
13. What if I want to donate money to be used to buy a certain genre of books?
The Foundation accepts gifts that help build specific, approved areas of the Library's collection, in consultation with the Library Director and the acquisitions staff. The Library strives to have a balanced collection that reflects the needs and interests of the local community. Named purchase funds may be established, perhaps to support a particular subject area.
14. What is a named purchase fund?
During the Ensuring Excellence campaign, individuals and groups have the opportunity to name a purchase fund that will help build the expanded Library's "opening day collection." The minimum amount required for a named purchase fund is $3,000. This would buy approximately 100 books. Named purchase funds may be arranged through three-year pledges. Bookplates recognizing the named fund will be placed in the items purchased by the fund.
15. Can I make a donation in memory of, or in honor of, someone else? And how would that person receive recognition?
Yes, donations frequently are made in memory, or honor, of individuals, groups, and special occasions. The usual recognition practice is to send a letter(s) of gift acknowledgement as the donor instructs. Also, a named bookplate may be placed in books purchased with the contribution.
16. What types of donations can the Foundation accept?
The Foundation accepts gifts of cash, securities, real estate and cash-value life insurance policies, bequests, and estate gifts with a retained income. If you would like to discuss any method of giving to the Foundation, we will explore options with you that best fit your needs and desires. The Foundation is also pleased to process corporate matching gifts.
