A novel gesture from the Lewes community
The community may need to remain quiet while inside the Lewes Public Library, but library officials cannot be quiet about what the community has done to help the inside.
On Dec. 23, the library posted a request on Facebook asking the community to help replace 162 children’s books that had gone missing throughout the year. Children’s librarian Jennifer Noonan helped to streamline the process by creating a wishlist of about 50 books on Amazon. From there, the Lewes community began authoring a story of the positives that can come from social media.
“It’s just amazing to me how viral it went,” said Lewes Public Library Director Lea Rosell. “That’s what social media is for.”
Another post appeared on the library’s feed Christmas Eve. Overwhelmed by the generosity of the community, the library said it was amazed at the response. Nearly every book on the list had been purchased. The library revealed in the update that there were also missing books from the teen and adult collections, and added them to the list.
“We don’t like to repurchase inventory,” Rosell said. “We do everything we can. We have a book repair machine that actually rebuilds the spine of books, so a book has to be pretty ruined for us to not fix it.”
The support from the community allows the library to continue expanding its collection and programs.
Fundraising for the library is nonstop, Rosell said. As one of 11 independent libraries in Sussex County, the Lewes Public Library needs to raise nearly half of its operating budget. The Friends of Lewes Public Library is the largest private funder and donates 97% of its fundraising to the library. The not-for-profit, all-volunteer organization buys 100% of the books and also supports several free programs at the library.
“If we have to replace something, that means we can’t buy something new,” Rosell said while noting the limited budget.
In addition to the support from the Friends, the library has donation drives like the Annual Appeal and the Underwriters Endowment Fund to help raise funds. This year’s Annual Appeal has a goal of $125,000, and library officials said they are more than halfway there. About 16% of the library’s 2022 budget came from the appeal and other donations.
The endowment fund is relatively new, and the library is hoping to build up to $5 million through contributions of no less than $2,500. The donation can be paid over the course of five years. Those donating more than $25,000 will become part of the Lewes Public Library Legacy Society. When the goal is reached, the endowment will support the library in perpetuity and eliminate the need for constant fundraising. Rosell said the principal would never be touched, as they would be able to draw from the interest earned.
Anyone interested in purchasing books from the wishlist can find the link on the library’s Facebook page. Donations for the Annual Appeal can be remitted at mygiving.net/donate/LewesLibrary. For more information about the Legacy Society and the Underwriters Endowment Fund, contact Development Director Rebecca Lowe at Rebecca.Lowe@lib.de.us.
