Library Foundation of Spokane County aims to support districtwide projects

The Library Foundation of Spokane County was created this year to benefit the Spokane County Library District and already has its first fundraiser under its belt, raising money for mobile Wi-Fi hotspots during Library Giving Day last month.

The goal of the foundation is to raise money for countywide projects, activity kits, technology access and recreational opportunities, said SCLD Development Manager Jill Nunemaker. Most of the 11 libraries operated by the district have a Friends of the Library group that raises money for projects and programs at that specific library, Nunemaker said, but the district needed a nonprofit organization that could do the same thing for the district as a whole.

“The library sees the need for more robust fundraising,” she said. “We had been working for several months to get everything in order.”

Communications and Development Director Jane Baker said the pandemic created a few challenges, but “this is something that had been in the works for a couple of years,” she said.

The foundation was able to raise $11,260 for mobile hotspots during the Day of Giving, which “completely blew us away,” said Nunemaker.

People have been working and attending school from home in the last year, and the need for Wi-Fi hotspots was identified last year, Baker said.

“We have several areas in the county where we have no internet access or little access,” she said. “Internet access isn’t a luxury anymore. It’s more of a necessity.”

The county library district received a grant that allowed it to purchase 20 of the mobile devices and started offering them to patrons last fall. There was an immediate six-week waitlist, Nunemaker said.

“We couldn’t keep up with demand,” she said.

The nine-member board of directors for the foundation will meet four times a year to identify and discuss fundraising needs.

“As librarians develop programs or ideas for programs, these are things the foundation can contribute to,” Nunemaker said.

The board is led by Lori Bucher and most members are young and working full time, Baker said. “It’s exciting to see these new fresh faces with a passion for the library,” she said.

Librarians will identify programs and supplies they would like to obtain and put in a request to the district. The district would then ask the foundation if it would be interested in fundraising for that project or program.

“It’s very collaborative in that respect,” Nunemaker said.

The foundation could raise money to bring in guest speakers the district otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford, Baker said. It’s also likely the foundation will be involved in raising money for the upcoming capital campaign to build a new Spokane Valley library branch, she said.

“We do hope the foundation grows to include endowments and things like that,” she said.

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Nina Culver can be reached at nculver47@gmail.com