Foundation Presents Town Council with $50,000
Foundation Presents Town Council with $50,000 for Library
December 5, 2006 — The Chapel Hill Public Library Foundation donated $50,000 to the Town of Chapel Hill at the December 4 meeting of the Town Council. Foundation President, Gene Pease, reported on the progress of the Foundation's fundraising work in recent months. Then he presented Mayor Kevin Foy with the check which will be used to buy about 2,000 new books for the Library.
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The Chapel Hill Public Library Foundation is leading a five-year $2.5 million fundraising capital campaign, Ensuring Excellence. The campaign begins in 2006 and ends in 2011 when the newly expanded Chapel Hill Public Library opens to the public. At this time the Library will need an additional 68,000 books and other items to meet the heavy demand of its service population.
The Ensuring Excellence campaign was launched on November 10th with a fundraising event held at the home of UNC President Erskine Bowles, and featured best-selling author, John Grisham. The benefit raised approximately $65,000 for the purchase of new library books. Over $30,000 of in-kind donations also were made.
Even with strong support from the Town, the Library needs private support in order to enlarge its collection to meet its service goals. The Chapel Hill Public Library is the busiest public library in North Carolina. Library users check out approximately 14 books per capita each year--over three times the State average. In a heavy use community like Chapel Hill, a library collection should have 4.0 collection items per person. The Chapel Hill Public Library has only 2.6 items per person.
The Foundation's immediate goal is to raise $300,000 to allow the Library to add "9300 Books Now" in its existing space.
The Chapel Hill Public Library Foundation is a private, non-profit, tax-exempt organization, completely separate from the Town of Chapel Hill. 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 oversees the management of the Love Trust, with a current value of $1.78 million. Earned income from the trust is distributed quarterly to the Library. The Foundation's $50,000 gift will supplement regular trust distributions.
Foundation President Gene Pease's letter to the Mayor and Town Council (PDF)
