2014 Annual Report 20th Anniversary Edition Enhancing the Library for 20 Years! www.FairfaxLibraryFoundation.org Mission Statement Fairfax Library Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable and educational organization committed to providing supplementary support to the Fairfax County Public Library. The Foundation, while reinforcing the need for continued and increased public support for the library, serves as a catalyst for attracting private funding from individuals, businesses, organizations, and foundations to enhance library services for our community. Fairfax Library Foundation, Inc. Dear Supporter, On behalf of Fairfax Library Foundation and our Board of Directors, we offer our genuine appreciation for the substantial contributions that you made during our latest fiscal year, from July 1, 2013, to June 30, 2014. The Foundation relies solely on gifts from the local community, and your generous donations are vital as we work to enhance the programs and services provided by Fairfax County Public Library. The library has been providing high quality services to the community for 75 years, and the Foundation has augmented library services for the last 20. We want to continue to enhance these services for those who live, work, and study in Fairfax County for generations to come. It is only through the generosity of our supporters, like you, that the Foundation can expand funding for programs throughout the 23 library branches. We are so fortunate to enjoy these educational and entertainment resources here in Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax. The 1,625 gifts received during FY 2014—a total of $704,078 given by 1,325 donors—will benefit the library and all people, young and old, who use its services. Thanks entirely to our supporters in FY 2014, the proven programs, listed below, were expanded and more successful than ever before. • Ready to Read Early Literacy Outreach, a program designed to build early literacy skills in preschool aged children, led 1,391 story times this year for 25,823 attendees and distributed 24,253 picture books. This year, Early Literacy funding increased by 52 percent from the previous year; • Changing Lives Through Literature, an alternative to formal court action for first-time juvenile offenders that uses literature to encourage critical thought and impart values essential to living within our society, reached 124 young men and women this year. Funding for this program increased 89.1 percent from last year; • Scholarships totaling $23,461 were awarded to 17 Fairfax County Public Library current and future employees and volunteers for degree programs up to the master’s level and for continuing education; • The Foundation funded $102,500 in books and materials this year to expand the library’s collection; • Popular presentations, including many during the library’s Summer Reading Program, Book Club Conference, and the annual Fall for the Book festival, entertained and educated more than 208,358 library patrons in 7,679 events. Thanks to our generous supporters, Fairfax Library Foundation has made a real and positive difference to Fairfax area residents over our first two decades! From our beginning in 1994, we have enjoyed many other great successes beyond those listed above. These include the first ever Night in the Stacks, which netted $50,000 for the endowment; the Capital Book Festival, which netted more than $100,000 for the New Century Library Fund (now the General Endowment); and the Art in The Pages effort, which brought the public art book statues to Fairfax County and netted more than $50,000. In addition, A Library Jubilee, first held in 2009, has become our premier annual fundraising event, raising an average of more than $100,000 each year. Through all of these programs and the generosity of our donors, the Foundation has been able to raise substantial resources to supplement public funding for the library—and to rally community support for library services. In the past year, we have continued our accomplishments. A Library Jubilee! Let Loose in the Library! was held in October at Burke Centre Library, and with your support, we raised more than $113,000. Our generous sponsors helped make this event happen, especially our Signature Guardian Sponsors, the Friends of the Burke Centre Library. Fairfax Library Foundation sponsored and presented the Fairfax Prize, awarded to humorist Dave Barry during the Fall for the Book festival. We also sponsored a lecture by author and politician Ralph Nader at the Fall for the Book festival, subsidized the library’s first ever Book Club Conference, and with other committed community members, successfully advocated for libraries to the Board of Supervisors, who subsequently passed a 2015 budget with the first increase for library materials since 2007. In retrospect, it has been an exhilarating and busy 20 years, but we have just begun! Only generous financial support from you and other library lovers will allow us to continue our mutual success. Know that your gifts positively impact the lives of thousands of individuals in your community. We hope to see you in person at our next A Library Jubilee and trust that you will continue your support of the library through charitable gifts and donations to Fairfax Library Foundation throughout the year. We welcome and greatly appreciate all gifts, as they enhance library services and make a substantive difference in our shared community. Thank you again for your exceptionally vital, generous, and continuing support. Sincerely yours, Brian D. Engler Susan C. Harman, CFRE Chair, Board of Directors Executive Director www.FairfaxLibraryFoundation.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 1 Fairfax Library Foundation Board of Directors FY 2014 Chair Brian D. Engler Vice Chair Sushma Shenoy-Saluja Information Management Consultants, Inc. Advisory Board FY 2014 Treasurer Kathleen M. Flaherty Matthews, Carter and Boyce, PC Chair Katherine “Kate” Hanley Secretary Richard W. Peterson Vice Chair James W. Dyke Directors Advisors Brownell Combs Deloitte & Touche, LLP Jim Corcoran Fairfax County Chamber of Charles Fegan Commerce Patrick J. Dexter Judy A. Hubka ExxonMobil Yong Kim Verisign Worldwide Headquarters Al & Claire Dwoskin Dwoskin & Associates Pamela McCarthy Bank of America Martin C. Faga MITRE Corporation Scott Proper SunTrust Bank Gerald L. Gordon Fairfax County Economic Kay Smith Access National Bank Development Authority Jason Underwood StrataPoint Financial David M. Guernsey Guernsey Office Products, Inc. Bruce Yoran First Virginia Community Bank Judi Nardella Hershman RAFTR Communications Ex-officio Michael J. Hershman The Fairfax Group Susan C. Harman Executive Director, Laura Lewis Mandeles Keens, Mandeles and You, LLC Fairfax Library Foundation J.D. Morrissette Interstate Worldwide Relocation Edwin S. Clay, III Director, Fairfax County Public Library Binh T. Nguyen Walter Reed National Will O. Jasper Chair, FCPL Board of Trustees Military Medical Center Mary S. Petersen Representative, FCPL Board of Trustees Jay A. Parker Jay Parker & Associates Rebecca B. Parker RBC Wealth Management Lucinda D. Robb Ann E. Rust Knox Singleton Inova Health System Alice & Ken Starr Baylor University Janie Strauss Fairfax County Public School Board Fairfax Library Foundation Annual Report 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 2 Fairfax Library Foundation, Inc. Dear Fellow Library Supporters, The success of the library is grounded in the interest of supporters, visitors, and advocates. For 75 years, your dedication and passion has allowed Fairfax County Public Library to provide quality services and maintain its high level of performance. On behalf of the Fairfax County Public Library Board of Trustees, I cannot thank you enough for your contributions to the Fairfax Library Foundation this year. It is my privilege to lead the Board of Trustees in order to carry out its mission of upholding the policy and function of the library to meet the needs of the entire community. It is with your enthusiasm that Fairfax County Public Library has been a cornerstone of the Fairfax Community for 75 years, and your dedication to the library is appreciated by all library users. It is with a combination of public and private support that Fairfax County Public Library is able to effectively serve residents of Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax. In FY 2014, a total of 473,411 registered library card holders borrowed 12,881,013 items. The library is able to serve the technological demands of library users in this digital age. This past year, library customers made 4,764,081 visits to the library’s website. Through this website, library users are able to access their account, reserve meeting rooms, register for programs, download eBooks, and access databases and other services. Additionally, the demand for the library’s programs and services continues to grow, providing 7,679 programs for 208,358 attendees this past year. With your support and advocacy, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a budget that includes an additional $250,000 each year for the next four years, totaling $1 million, to expand the library’s collection of books and materials. We are thrilled to have these additional funds, and are looking forward to expanding the library’s collection! Thank you for your advocacy and support. The library’s staff, volunteers, and Friends groups continue to provide exceptional service and support to library customers. The Trustees applaud these individuals, who have shown dedication to Fairfax County Public Library and whose enthusiasm for providing quality library services has allowed the library to thrive for the past 75 years. These individuals’ hard work and the continued support of Fairfax Library Foundation promise a successful future for the library. The Trustees are grateful for the support that the library receives from Fairfax Library Foundation. To support the library and allow its services to expand and thrive, I ask that you continue to generously assist Fairfax Library Foundation in providing financial support for the library. It is only with your help that the library is able to maintain its high level of excellence. With the greatest appreciation, Willard O. Jasper Chair, Fairfax County Public Library Board of Trustees Fiscal Year 2014 Fairfax County Public Library Board of Trustees – Fiscal Year 2014 Susan C. Thorniley School Board Willard O. Jasper, Chair Lee District Charles A. Fegan, Vice Chair At-Large Elizabeth Galle Clements Mason District David C. F. Ray Braddock District Donald F. Heinrichs Mount Vernon District Mary Petersen City of Fairfax Margaret Koplitz Providence District Kristin Cabral Dranesville District Dr. Joseph H. Sirh Springfield District Michael Cutrone Hunter Mill District Karrie Delaney Sully District www.FairfaxLibraryFoundation.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 3 Foundation Milestones Fairfax Library Foundation has grown tremendously in our first 20 years with your unwavering support! Here are some milestones from our first two decades: In 1997, a $1 million bequest was made by Orrin W. Macleod for the 1 purchase of audiobooks. In 1999, the Foundation’s first big fundraising event, Night in the Stacks, 2 netted $50,000, which was used to create a general endowment, through contributors such as INOVA and Washington Gas. In 2000, the New Century Library Fund (NCLF) was established to raise 3 $3,000,000 to address the library’s most critical needs, books and materials, community programs, and the Virtual Library. A.J. Dwoskin and his wife, Claire, co-chaired the New Century Library Fund, and A.J. Dwoskin & Associates pledged more than $729,000 for the General Endowment. In 2002, the Foundation adopted the library’s priority of Early Literacy 4 and funded a MotherRead®/FatherRead® program through an initial, anonymous $100,000 contribution. This donor also created an Early Literacy endowment. In 2002, the Friends of the George Mason Regional Library created a 5 $500,000 Children’s Reading Program endowment to sustain the very popular Summer Reading Program. 6 The first scholarship for library employees and volunteers was awarded in 2002, named after Fairfax County Public Library Director Edwin S. Clay III, to commemorate his 20 years of service. The Scholarship Endowment was added to the New Century Library Fund to help defray the costs of education, and many scholarships have been awarded through the support of several longtime generous contributors, including the Friends of the Pohick Regional Library and the City of Fairfax Regional Library Friends. In 2003, the Shelley A. Marshall Foundation was created to honor one of the heroes lost in the September 7 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the Pentagon. The Foundation funded more than $20,000 for story times over the next five years. 8 In 2003, the Foundation received a generous donation of $40,000 from Capital One, followed the next year with an additional $65,000. 9 Fairfax Library Foundation hosted The Capital Book Festival: A Celebration of Notable Authors in 2004. This event was a celebration of the Foundation’s 10th anniversary, and it netted $100,000 for the New Century Library Fund. Fairfax Library Foundation Annual Report 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4 Fairfax Library Foundation, Inc. In 2005, the Foundation received a grant from the Department of Education for more than 10 $340,000 to create six new computer clubhouses throughout the county. In April 2006, Sidney and Clarine Schmukler made a donation of $35 that completed the New 11 Century Library Fund’s $3 million goal, and in May, Katie Strotman made the 2,000th donation of the year for the purchase of books in memory of Kate Keifman, marking the first time the Foundation exceeded 2,000 donors in a single year! 12 In 2006, legacy gifts from Elizabeth Newton and Betty Downard totaled more than $286,000. 13 Art in the Pages, the first ever public art initiative in Fairfax, brought large decorative book statues to all library branches and other locations in the Fairfax area and netted $50,000, thanks to Signature Sponsor Verizon and others. In 2009, Fairfax Library Foundation hosted its first A Library Jubilee! The 14 event is now the largest annual fundraiser, netting an average of more than $100,000 each year! In 2009, the Vietnamese community launched the Gateway to Freedom 15 Project by selling engraved bricks that became part of the walkway at the newly renovated Thomas Jefferson Library. As Signature Sponsors for the Jubilee, they raised $25,000 for the Jubilee and more than $25,000 in additional funds for the Thomas Jefferson Library. ExxonMobil has generously supported the Foundation during these 16 first two decades, including internship opportunities, children’s foreign language collections, matching contributions, leadership on the Board of Directors, and event sponsorship exceeding $280,000. In 2012, Blue Earth Foundation made a generous $10,000 gift, and the 17 Friends of the Sherwood Regional Library gave $15,000 for ESL materials in memory of Alice Pickering, a former library staff member and secretary of the Friends of the Sherwood Library. In 2013, The Hattie M. Strong Foundation gave $10,000 for Changing 18 Lives Through Literature. 19 The Friends of the Burke Centre Library were the Signature Sponsors for the 2013 Jubilee event, contributing more than $25,000. 20 In 2014, several Friends groups made large commitments to the Foundation to fund programs, including the Friends of the Richard Byrd Library, contributing $10,000 for the Ready to Read Early Literacy Outreach Program and Changing Lives Through Literature, and the Friends of the Kings Park Library, who donated $13,000. www.FairfaxLibraryFoundation.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 5 Your Gifts at Work: Early Literacy Outreach Fairfax Library Foundation is proud to bring the joy of In April 2014, the Ready to Read Early Literacy Outreach reading to preschool-aged children in the Fairfax area by Volunteer Program received the Fairfax County Volunteer funding the library’s Early Literacy Outreach program. Service’s Volunteer Program Award. This well-deserved accomplishment highlights the hard work and dedication The Foundation initially undertook the priority of Early of all individuals who are committed to early literacy Literacy in 2004, when the MotherRead®/FatherRead® efforts. program was started through the generosity of an anonymous contribution, which also created an Early Through your generous contributions to Fairfax Library Literacy Endowment. The early literacy initiative was Foundation, YOU have allowed us to fund an astounding based on the national award-winning program and 5,480 story times, with 105,665 attendees and 60,219 targeted preschool children and their families in the picture books distributed throughout the Fairfax neediest areas of Fairfax. community since 2008. Since the Foundation first started funding the Thank you for helping extend the joy of reading to library’s early literacy efforts, the program has grown preschoolers in the Fairfax area. Your gifts have made a tremendously and is now the very successful Ready to tremendous impact in these children’s lives. Read Early Literacy Outreach Program. Fairfax Library Foundation is proud to support the program’s efforts to promote literacy and model appropriate early literacy strategies for preschool-age children and their caregivers! The Ready to Read program is successful thanks to the hard work of four library staff and 23 story time volunteers, who travel all over Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax to bring the joy of reading to the early childhood community. These story time presenters not only provide interactive story times for preschool-aged children, but also distribute free picture books for all participants and their caregivers, to encourage reading at home. Fairfax Library Foundation Annual Report 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 6 Fairfax Library Foundation, Inc. Your Gifts at Work: Changing Lives Through Literature Your generous contributions allow Fairfax Library Foundation to help first-time juvenile offenders by funding the Changing Lives Through Literature (CLTL) program in the Fairfax community. The program is an alternative to formal court action, and in conjunction with probation and parole, uses the power of literature to transform lives. CLTL uses reading and group discussions to rehabilitate offenders by building self-esteem, encouraging critical thinking, facilitating an understanding of how one’s actions impact others, and teaching offenders that they are not alone with their troubles. The men, women, and youth enrolled in this program can also learn about themselves, gaining insight about their own lives and behaviors. The Fairfax County CLTL program has received awards and accolades, including an Outstanding Achievement in Local Government Innovation Award and an achievement award from the National Association of Counties. Fairfax Library Foundation is proud to fund this program, which is positively impacting the lives of first-time offenders in the community. YOUR contributions have funded 46 programs for 511 participants in Fairfax County since it began in 2007! Books and Materials Fairfax Library Foundation is pleased to expand the library’s collection for visitors through the purchase of books and materials, including non-print materials such as eBooks. Your contributions have helped the Foundation purchase materials for the library’s collection to continuously meet the demands of library visitors and increase the number of resources available to the community. The Foundation also allows contributors to expand the library’s collection by purchasing high-demand titles from our Amazon.com Wish List. Contributors make a tangible difference and have the option to be the first to check out the book through our “First Loan Program.” YOU have allowed Fairfax Library Foundation to purchase more than $410,000 in books and materials for the library, including more than $220,000 for eBooks, over the past 20 years! www.FairfaxLibraryFoundation.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 7 Your Gifts at Work: Scholarships Did you know that Fairfax Library Foundation awards Recipients of this scholarship went on to earn Master scholarships to Fairfax County Public Library employees of Library Science and other graduate degrees from and volunteers? The Foundation is committed to prestigious institutions, including Catholic University supporting these hardworking individuals by helping of America, American University, University of South defray the costs of education through Continuing Carolina, Florida State University, University of North Education Scholarships, as well as Academic Scholarships Texas, and others. for graduate and undergraduate students. Since 2013, Fairfax Library Foundation also has The Foundation first awarded scholarships in 2002, awarded scholarships for undergraduate students, and and your generous gifts to Fairfax Library Foundation through your donations, $16,500 has been awarded have helped employees and volunteers continue their to 13 individuals to help cover the costs of their educational endeavors, giving them opportunities to undergraduate degree studies. better serve library visitors. The Foundation annually presents one outstanding graduate applicant with the Special appreciation is extended to all contributors who Edwin S. Clay III Masters of Library Science Scholarship, generously sponsor these scholarships, including the named after the Fairfax County Public Library Rotary Foundation of Burke, the Friends of the Kings director. The creation of these scholarships in 2002 Park Library, Pohick Regional Library, and City of Fairfax commemorated Clay’s 20th year of service to the library. Regional Library. To date, your contributions have provided $45,000 in Your commitment to the library through Fairfax Library Continuing Education Scholarships to 151 employees Foundation has made a tangible difference for the library and volunteers. These scholarships, awarded employees and volunteers who have received these semiannually, have been used to cover the costs of scholarships. many learning opportunities over the years, including American Library Association Conferences, language courses, computing classes, library workshops, training resources on assisting library patrons, genealogy conferences, and many more areas that allow library staff to provide high-quality services to library visitors. Your gifts also have provided graduate scholarships for employees and volunteers. To date, 45 graduate scholarships totaling $114,000 have been awarded. Fairfax Library Foundation Annual Report 2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8