President’s Message - January 1, 2020
Bainbridge Public Library is the library that our community built…
Bainbridge Public Library is the Library that our community built and continues to support. It is unique because it is a 501(c)(3) that belongs to the people of Bainbridge Island. As a non-profit, Bainbridge Public Library depends on donations and grants to provide funds for maintaining the building and grounds. We have a partnership with Kitsap Regional Library, which is a property tax-supported institution, that provides the staff, collections, classes, programs, and technology. Working together, we bring you the wonderful library that you have come to expect.
Bainbridge Public Library is governed by a volunteer Board whose members contribute their experience, expertise, and love for the Library. They are thoughtful stewards of your donations as they meet the current needs and plan for the future. I am honored to be the President of this Board, working with this group of people who are committed to providing the best possible space for your library needs.
This year, we have worked to eradicate dry rot in the eaves of the older part of the building and re-glazed the stairwell windows. We have been working with gutters and downspouts to redirect the water coming off the roof. We now have a back-up generator for pumps protecting us from flooding. A new sound system has been installed in the meeting room. And special attention has been paid to the gardens, replacing diseased trees, mapping irrigation systems, and increasing safety to the parking lot exits. Our fern garden is nationally renowned.
In addition to the Board, we have 194 adults actively volunteering for the Library, sorting and selling books in their role of "Friends of the Library,” maintaining the gardens as "Friday Tidies,” shelving materials and straightening the shelves. We also have six teens who help with programs. In 2019, these wonderful people volunteered 8,568 hours valued at over $338,000. To quote one of our librarians, "Volunteers quite literally have made this Library what it is, a cherished Island institution.”
As we look back on our past year, we are happy with all that has been accomplished thanks to the ongoing commitment of our volunteers and donors.
Carol Schuyler, President (2020)
Bainbridge Public Library Board
