|
|
| Friends of the BPL |  |
|
Friends of the Bethlehem Public Library, Inc. The Friends welcome new people willing to offer ideas and lend a hand. Please contact any Friends Board member, or ask the Library staff for ways you can help. The Friends meet on the first Thursday of the month, 7pm at the Library. Meetings are open to the public. President: Rose Israel Vice-President: Marsha Palazzola Secretary: Betty Grubbs Treasurer: Barbara Roy FOBPL is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping provide the citizens of Bethlehem with a library that will offer an exceptional environment for informational services, literary pleasure and educational support. This organization was established to address two critical needs of the community concerning its public Library. 1. To help finance a new Library. The existing Library is housed in the Bethlehem Town Building and has occupied the same square footage space since 1913. The goal is to help fund a new facility that will meet the needs of our community into the future. Fundraising for a new library involves a variety of methods including seeking foundation, corporate and government grants, holding bake and tag sales, and personal solicitations. 2. Provide ongoing support for the Library. Funds to operate the Library come from the Town budget, supplemented by a small amount of money from trust funds and grants. The Friends group provides resources to underwrite the cost of programs that are now under funded and enable the library to offer a broader range of educational activities. Promotional activities focus on increasing public awareness and use of library resources. A Gift for the Future. The Bethlehem Public Library will serve the people in our community for many years to come. In addition to funding the cost of building a new library, we need to consider the future cost of operating the library. Library supporters may want to consider including the Library in their financial and estate plans. If you would like to hear more about giving a tax deductible gift to the Library in the form of a bequest, charitable annuity or charitable remainder trust, please contact the Friends (see Contact Us) All dues and donations given to the Friends of the Bethlehem Public Library, Inc. are deductible as charitable contributions for Federal Income Tax purposes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. |
 |
|
