Community Corner

Library Foundation Acknowledges 2012 Business, Individual Donors

Jefferson County Library relies on donations to offers programs and products for patrons.

Library Foundation Acknowledges 2012 Donors

The Jefferson County Library Foundation acknowledges the donors who contributed to the Foundation in 2012. During 2012 the Foundation raised $7,938 in corporate grants and personal donations. Since January 1st, the library has received another $700. The Walmart Foundation donated $3000 on behalf of the Arnold, Fenton and High Ridge Walmart Supercenters. The funds were used to purchase “View” players, handheld DVD players with preloaded award-winning content for preschoolers. The three stores donated an additional $900 to pay for a one year trial subscription for “WishList” software that allows individuals and groups to donate to the Library Foundation or Friends online, using a secured credit card link or Paypal account. Go to http://wishlist.jeffcolib.org for more information.

The Enterprise Holdings Foundation provided a grant for $1,500 that was used to subscribe to children’s and teen books in eBook format. Ninety-one eBooks available exclusively to JCL patrons were added to the library’s online eBook service, Missouri Libraries to Go.

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The Friends of the Arnold, Northwest and Windsor Branch Libraries each contributed to the Foundation in 2012. Jilly’s Café & Steakhouse and Bi-State Landscape Supply, two businesses located in High Ridge, also generously supported fundraising events for the Foundation. The Thurman Law Firm in Hillsboro made a donation in honor of Foundation Board President David Mangelsdorf, Sandra Overberg and Home Service Oil Company.  

Individual donors included Phil and Deborah Amato, William and Nancy Bergfeld, James R. Camden, Ted and Cheryl Chibnall, Carl and Linda Collins, Nancy F. Evans, Robert and Jacqueline Geile, Mr. and Mrs. Skip Johnson, Larry Jones, Arthur R. Kasey, Eric and Nelda Knoll, Earl and LouAnn Langhorst, Bill McKenna, Ryan and Angela McKenna, Gil and Linda Schroeder, Jon and Karen Shepherd, Jack C. Stewart, Lisa Trokey-Brannon, Dianne Vargo, Forrest K. Wegge, and Steven and Patricia Wymore.

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“We are grateful to the Foundation Board members for their efforts on behalf of the library, and to all our donors,” said JCL director Pam Klipsch. “We try to provide our community with quality library services, but the challenge of stretching our flat revenue to cover building payment obligations and rising operational costs doesn’t leave much room for the new technology and service enhancements our customers want.”

Klipsch noted that JCL circulated 12,249 eBooks and eAudiobooks in the first six months of providing the new service.

“We are part of a statewide consortium of libraries providing access through Missouri Libraries to Go. We purchase e-content subscriptions as a group, but each library also has the option to buy additional subscriptions available exclusively for its own customers,” Klipsch explained. “So if you want to see more eBooks and eAudiobooks, we’re asking you to consider donating to the Foundation. If each of our eBook users would donate $25 we could double the amount of money we have allocated for expanding our e-book collections.”

Unlike libraries in other St. Louis metro area counties, libraries in Jefferson County have not asked voters to approve a tax increase in several years, Klipsch said. Jefferson County Library is still operating on the levy approved by voters when the district was established in 1989, before the advent of much of the technology that is now essential to any library operation.

“Our Friends groups, and now our Foundation, are working hard to help us bridge the ever-widening gap between what we can afford and what our customers expect,” Klipsch said.

 The Jefferson County Library Foundation was established in 2010 to improve library services to Jefferson County by supporting 21st century technology and continuing education for the library district. Donate online at http://wishlist.jeffcolib.org. All donations to the Jefferson County Library Foundation are tax-deductible.


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