Mission Statement

A strong public library is the foundation upon which a community builds for the future, and the Lake Bluff Public Library Foundation is committed to ensuring that the Lake Bluff Public Library receives the financial support necessary for the capital improvements critical to address emerging community needs and trends. The Foundation accomplishes its mission through fundraising, advocacy, and innovative programs that promote greater awareness of the Library's valuable resources.

Gifts

Endowments, stocks, gifts, and bequests may be contributed to the Lake Bluff Public Library Foundation and all contributions are tax deductible. Established in August 2018, the Lake Bluff Public Library Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation registered in the State of Illinois.

Online via PayPal

Check/Cash
Use our printable donation card and address envelopes to:

Lake Bluff Public Library attn. Renee Grassi
123 E. Scranton Ave.
Lake Bluff, IL 60044

Donation cards are also available at the Circulation Desk at the Library.

While both the Lake Bluff Public Library Foundation and the Friends of the Library are nonprofit corporations, their mission and goals are quite different. The Foundation's goals are to help the Library with capital improvements, with funds raised through campaigns targeting specific needs. The Friends provide support for furnishings, equipment, and programming with funds raised via events and an annual solicitation through the mail. The Friends also aim to create a network of Library supporters and potential volunteers. Both organizations are extremely important to the health and vitality of the Library as they provide cohesive and complementary support.

Library Needs

• Space - A 2015 space usage analysis of the Library found that "All existing spaces are too small for their current level of usage." The breadth of collections and services provided by the Library has grown in the past 45 years, but the building has not.
• Floor Plan - The ability for public libraries to adapt usage of space and resources to new community needs is essential. The current facility’s space makes such shifting difficult.
• Furnishings and Fixtures - The Library continues to be home to many un- or partially- finished spaces. Much of the children’s department still possesses poured-concrete walls, painted cinderblock walls are common throughout the building, and some furnishings have grown tatty with too many years of usage.

Renovation and a modest expansion are needed. Growing community need for services and collections combined with an aging building that requires regular maintenance makes accrual of the needed funds via the sub-$1M annual Library operating budget impossible rather than merely extremely difficult. With the blessing of the Lake Bluff Library Board of Trustees, the Foundation was formed in 2018 to lead a capital campaign to raise the needed funds.

Interested in learning more about the needs of the Library? Resources regarding plans, the process, community polling, and more will soon be available at a dedicated page on this website.