Library Foundation receives grant

The newly formed Library Foundation for Sarasota County has received a $10,000 grant from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation to raise public awareness about the county’s nine Sarasota County libraries and their value to the community.

The grant will launch a 12-month educational campaign, “Twelve Great Things About Your Library of the Year,” which builds on the recent recognition of the Sarasota County Libraries as the Library of the Year by the Florida Library Association. The campaign is being planned in collaboration with the Sarasota County Library system and the Friends Alliance, a coalition of the Friends of the Library organizations.

The campaign will help to educate the community about the strengths of the library system – and also its current and future needs. The new Library Foundation was launched last month to secure the future of Sarasota’s libraries.

“We expect the Twelve Great Things campaign to raise the profile of Sarasota Libraries in the community and make the Foundation a credible choice for philanthropic support,” said Shannon Staub, President of the Library Foundation, in a news release. “We are delighted that the Gulf Coast Community Foundation is our partner in this effort.”

Each month, a special resource of the Library will be showcased so that county residents and seasonal visitors will learn that the Sarasota County Library today is much more than books. The library’s data bases and electronic resources will be featured, along with resources for small businesses and job seekers, literacy initiatives for children and adults, educational programs for people of all ages and interests, and opportunities for civic engagement and public discourse.

For more information about the Library Foundation for Sarasota County, call 228-6274.