Page One

The Berkeley Public Library Foundation announced this week that it received a $300,000 challenge grant from the Kresge Foundation, the largest gift to date in its “We Love the Library” campaign. 

The fund-raising campaign has raised over $3.3 million of its goal $3.7 million for furnishings and other equipment in the new library, which will open early next year. 

In order to receive the $300,000 grant, the library foundation must complete the campaign. That is, it must raise the $3.7 million by the end of the year. BPLF Executive Director Glen Gilbert said that he hopes the money will be raised by September. 

Kresge Foundation grants are made toward projects involving construction or renovation of facilities and the purchase of major capital equipment or real estate. The library foundation began working on its application in September 1999. 

“It was one of the most challenging application processes I’ve ever been involved with,” Gilbert said. “But it was well worth it.” 

In 1999, the Kresge Foundation reviewed 597 proposals and awarded only 203 grants. Gilbert said that Kresge prefers to reward organizations that receive funding from a wide range of groups and individuals. So far, over 5,000 individuals have donated to the library foundation. 

In addition to the Kresge grant, the library foundation also announced that it has completed a $200,000 challenge grant from the Raymond Family Foundation to help refurbish the historic Reference Room. 

The library foundation received more than 100 gifts of $1,000 and 200 gifts of $500 from the community to meet the challenge grant. Berkeley Mayor Shirley Dean helped obtain the grant by being the first citizen to contribute money. 

The library is in the middle of a renovation and expansion project that will make the 1931 landmark building more earthquake-safe while doubling its square footage. It is on schedule to open in February; however, the BPLF will have a better time-frame estimate in the next 30 days. 

The bulk of the project’s funding comes from Measure S, the $49 million bond measure approved by Berkeley voters in 1996. About $30 million of the money went to fund the library’s renovation. However, under strict state laws, none of that money can be used for necessities like furniture, bookshelves, or computers, so the Berkeley Public Library Foundation is raising $3.7 million for these furnishings. 

The Berkeley Public Library is ranked No. 1 in California in circulation per capita among communities our size, and number six in the nation in the same category. Total circulation is 1.6 million items per year. The reference department alone handles over 659,000 questions a year or 198 per hour. 

For more information on making a donation, call the Library Foundation at 549-2943. To get more information about the campaign or to obtain downloadable images of the new library, visit www.bplf.org. The Berkeley Public Library Foundation is located at 2150 Kittredge St., Suite 4A, Berkeley 94704.