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Library benefits as endowment funds disbursed
The Putnam County Public Library has recently benefited from the generosity of several local organizations.
Jeff McCall of the Putnam County Community Foundation presented more than $50,000 in endowment funds to the library during the PCPL board’s regular meeting on Wednesday.
The endowments were: The Jewel Wright Endowment (promotes education about vegan/vegetarianism, $307); Putnam County Public Library Author Series Endowment ($722); Putnam County Public Library Endowment (for facility maintenance and expansion, $5,691); Cyril Johnson Fund (genealogy, $13,000); Albin-Rector Memorial Fund for the Visually Impaired ($1,200); Andrew and Aura Durham Family Endowment (40 percent to PCPL, $26,000); Orville Webb Endowment (10 percent to PCPL, $2,106) and Betty Hughes Memorial Fund (for children’s programming, $348).
“I really think that shows the power of philanthropy, when a fund is established and it grows,” McCall said, “and I think that’s what the Putnam County Community Foundation is designed to do, and I think it’s paying off. I’m happy to present these checks.”
He also presented a binder of information about the Putnam County Community Foundation for patrons’ use.
The library has also received a $5,300 donation from 100 Women Who Care for its adult literacy program set to launch this fall. The library plans to use the donation to hire a part-time adult literacy coordinator this June.
Lastly, the Rotary Club will begin donating books to the library in honor of their weekly speakers, which the library will use as a storytime collection for Youth Services.
“I want to make just a general statement about everything that’s going on at the library, particularly with regard to programming,” Director Carson said. “We have grown a lot over the last few years in terms of the scope of our services and the level of expertise we put in those services. We’re still a small library in terms of staff size.”
In other developments:
-- Book Walk 2017: Circulation Manager Conni Wrightsman reported that Book Walk 2017 will be installed on library property along Walnut Street. This year’s walk will feature 25 pages that tie in with the youth summer reading program.
-- Claims: The board approved claims at a total of $115,331.31, an increase from last month of $28,744.26 and of $43,265.93 from the year’s average.
-- Fuzzy Friday: The second annual Fuzzy Friday will be 5-7 p.m. June 16 and will include Anthony Brown of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Department with K9 officer Mack, the Humane Society, the 4-H Drill team, dog trainer Jennifer McNutt and the P.A.L.S. Pups. Rain date is June 30.
-- Parking Lot: After exploring prices on installing concrete in the parking lot, the board decided to use asphalt. Although the short-term cost of doing the gravel lot in concrete would have been comparable to the original total project cost, eventually installing concrete throughout the rest of the lot would have been $80,000.
The next Putnam County Public Library board regular meeting will be June 28 at 6 p.m. in the Kiwanis room.