Purpose of a Library Foundation

 

The formation of library foundations is a common occurrence throughout the country.  Library foundations are an excellent way of supplementing library resources as we face an increasingly complex information age. Public libraries have become hubs of  computer-based and other informational resources that are essential in succeeding in today’s world.      

In communities like Palm Beach County, where many families struggle economically, public libraries take on added importance and need to keep current and be widely available to meet the many informational needs of the community.  Otherwise, our residents will not be able to keep pace and will fall behind both in education and economic success. 

In West Palm Beach, our public Library serves as a busy public computer center, jobs resource and a center for literacy education that for many residents evolves into lifelong learning and success.  These are essential functions that need to be supported.

Public funds provide for the Library's operating budget to cover basic needs and are not sufficient to provide full access to the information and service the community needs. Private support is necessary to help the Library improve and expand technology, collections and programs and to make a great Library even greater.

A few Important Facts

Public libraries are good for the economy. Studies have shown that public libraries have an economic impact that greatly exceeds their cost, returning somewhere between $4 to $6 to the local economy for every $1 invested. A healthy library system is indicative of a healthy community. A community without a library is unattractive to businesses and individuals looking to locate to a new area.

Libraries play an important role in helping young children develop reading skills. Early childhood literacy and exposure to a book-rich environment are significant predictors of a child's success in school and in life. The Internet has yet to come anywhere near filling this need.

A vital and attractive library helps define a community, encourages civic pride, and invests residents with a sense of ownership.

 

 


The library connects us with the insight and knowledge, painfully extracted from Nature, of the greatest
minds that ever were, with the best teachers, drawn from the entire planet and from all our history, to
instruct us without tiring, and to inspire us to make our own contribution to the collective knowledge of
the human species. I think the health of our civilization, the depth of our awareness about the
underpinnings of our culture and our concern for the future can all be tested by how well
we support our libraries.

                                                        ~Carl Sagan, Cosmos