The Winchester Public Library has benefited through the years from generous donors who deeply care about the Library. We welcome both unrestricted as well as restricted gifts. Various opportunities exist for donations both large and small. All gifts are tax deductible.

The Endowment Fund

Dear Library Supporters,

We are asking you to consider making a gift to the Winchester Library Endowment Fund. Gifts to the Winchester Library Endowment Fund are tax deductible under federal and state law.

The demand for library services has never been greater. Library attendance jumped 6.6% in 2007 and an additional 3.39% in 2008. During 2008, the Library had more than 300,000 visits; approximately 14 visits for every Town resident. Borrowing of materials continues to rise. In 2008 a total of 557,977 items were borrowed, this is an 8% increase over the previous year. While the residents of Winchester enjoy our collection of 131,000 items, they also take full advantage of being members of the Minuteman Library Network of 41 libraries with more than 1.4 million items. In 2008 44,335 items were sent to our library to fill requests from our residents.

Most recently the Endowment Fund has provided wireless computer technology, allowing access to the Internet from nearly everywhere in the building, a Homework Center to make the library more welcoming to students after school, and comfortable seating on the main floor. The Endowment also helped finance a renovation of the main floor.

There are naming opportunities for gifts of $100,000 and above. Donations of $2,000 or more are recognized with an inscription on the Winchester Library Endowment Fund Plaque in the Reference Reading Room. All donations to the Winchester Library Endowment Fund are recognized in the Library’s donor book, on permanent display under the plaque.

The Winchester Library Endowment Fund is a long-term investment in the future of our community and its Library. Your generosity will provide stability in difficult times, help us maintain excellent services and create an even better Public Library for the future of Winchester.

Please contact the Director’s Office 781-721-7171 ext 10 for additional information.

Honor and Memorial Gifts

Gifts may be made to the Winchester Public Library in honor or in memory of a friend or loved one. Tax-deductible gifts of $25 or more may be mailed to the address below. Please include your name and address, the name of the person whom you are honoring or memorializing, and the name and address of the person we should notify. If you would prefer to remain anonymous, please let us know. Please use the form below and submit it with your donation.
If you have any questions or would like more information on Honor and Memorial Gifts, please call Ann Wirtanen or Barbara Yuan in the Administrative Offices 781-721-7171 ext. 10.
Checks should be made payable to the Winchester Public Library and mailed to:

Honor and Memorial Gifts
Winchester Public Library
80 Washington Street
Winchester, MA 01890

Name of donor: _____________________________

Address: __________________________________

__________________________________________

Name of person being honored:

_________________________________________

Each item purchased will be given a bookplate. How would you like the bookplate to appear? (Example: Given in memory of…..)

_________________________________________

Please specify how you would like us to direct your gift. Perhaps a particular subject, or media type.

_________________________________________

Is there anyone we should notify of your gift?

_________________________________________

 

Annual Fund

Gifts to the Annual Fund enhance services and the general operation of the Library in many ways. The intent of the Annual Fund is to cover the costs of projects for the coming year. This differs from the Endowment which is intended to provide financial stability and meet future capital needs. The Annual Fund was established to meet current needs which vary year to year. Funds from previous annual appeals have renovated the main floor, purchased shelving and plaques, and financed Sunday hours when needed.

Checks should be made payable to the Winchester Public Library and mailed to:

Annual Fund
Winchester Public Library
80 Washington Street
Winchester, MA 01890

 

Birthday Book Program

Gifts may be made to the Winchester Public Library’s Children’s Collection in honor of a child’s birthday. Gifts received through the Birthday Book Program add to the library’s resources and benefit the Winchester community.

The suggested donation is thirty dollars. The librarian will select a book for you from a general subject area of your choosing. Specific title suggestions are accepted but not recommended because too frequently the item is already part of the collection or it is unavailable.

Upon receipt of your gift and completed form, we will order the book and when the library receives the book we will send a note to your son or daughter, letting them know that a birthday book has been given in their honor. A special Birthday Book bookplate identifying your child and his/her age will be placed in the book.

This is a wonderful way to make a lasting gift to the Winchester community. Checks should be made payable to the Winchester Public Library and mailed to:

Birthday Book Program
Winchester Public Library
80 Washington Street
Winchester, MA 01890

Please mail to:

Birthday Book Program
Winchester Public Library
80 Washington Street
Winchester, MA 01890

Parent’s Name: ________________________

Address: _____________________________

____________________________________

 

Child’s Name (as it will appear on the bookplate):

___________________________________

Child’s Age: _______

Enclosed is a donation of $_______

Subject Area: ________________________

 

Volunteer

The Library is fortunate to retain a group of volunteers who are so loyal, hard-working and cheerful. The tasks that they perform enable our paid staff to give even better service to our patrons, so our volunteers are worth their weight in gold.

In 2008 forty volunteers gave a total of 2,618 hours to the library. Half of the volunteers worked inside the building shelving materials, shelf-reading, mending books, filing, pulling items on the paging list, cleaning DVDs, and stamping new items. The others worked outside the library delivering materials to the homebound and reading at the Gables and at the Winchester Nursing Center.

The volunteers who read to the residents of the Gables and the Winchester Nursing Center are a faithful and dedicated group. They enjoyed interacting with the seniors and sharing their favorites in books, short stories and articles. At the Gables, they had the added enjoyment of interacting with a healthier group of seniors who could share their favorites books too. Janet Nelson organized two “brown bag” lunches for the volunteers when they had the opportunity to compare experiences and to share readings that went well and others that were not well received. This type of volunteer support has proved to be very beneficial in maintaining a dedicated team of volunteers.

Forty teens made up the ROAR Corps in the summer of 2008, and they were lead – for the ninth year- by Dennis Kronenber. Most of them worked for two weeks in the eight-week program. Many of the teens had siblings who had been ROAR readers in the past, and the legacy goes on. They read at scheduled stops such as the Recreation Department camps and the Swim Club, but they also made impromptu stops when they saw children and parents in the parks and on the streets.

If you are interested in volunteering for the Library please contact Barbara Yuan, Assistant Director, 781-721-7171 ext 18. She will be able to match your area of interest and talents to the current needs of the Library. To volunteer you must be a resident of Winchester.

Used Book Donations

The library is unable to accept used book donations, however, please consider the following organizations as alternatives:

* Somerville Public Library accepts used book donations. Call before you visit, as there are times when the library restricts donations. (617) 623-5000

Somerville Public Library
79 Highland Avenue
Somerville, MA 02143-1797

* EnKa Exchange accepts used book donations as well as other donations. Call before you visit. (781) 729-6146
EnKa Exchange
1037 Main Street
Winchester, MA 01890

* Got Books? Visit their web site to schedule a free pick up or locate a nearby donation box. You can also contact them at (978)327-7600.

 

Sunday Hours Fund

In 2004 the Library’s budget was cut by $61,000 causing a reduction in staffing and a consequent loss of nine hours per week, including Sundays. In fiscal year 2006 hours of operation were reduced even further, down to only 53 per week. This made it impossible to keep up with essential library functions and was a serious disservice to Winchester residents whose use of the Library made us number one in the state for a community of our size in terms of circulation, reference, and children’s programming.

In fiscal year 2007 the general operating budget improved but not enough to open on Sundays. A serious fundraising effort made it possible to resume Sunday hours of operation. The library resumed Sunday hours in January 2007.

The Board of Trustees is committed to the promises, both spoken and implied, that they made to generous donors of the Sunday Hours Fund. They will not use funds donated to the Sunday Hours Fund for any purpose except for which they are given. Donations made to the Sunday Hours Fund are strictly used for staff expenses incurred by those working on Sunday afternoons.

The library is open generally thirty Sundays per year. Donations both large and small are gratefully accepted. It costs $1,000 to open the library for one Sunday for three hours. A donation of $1,000 allows the donor to select a specific date and on that Sunday their photograph will be displayed in the Sunday Donors Book located at both circulation desks. Smaller donations are pooled into the Sunday Circle.

Checks should be made payable to the Winchester Library Sunday Hours Fund and mailed to the address below:

Sunday Hours Fund
Winchester Public Library
80 Washington Street
Winchester, MA 01890