Why does Friends of Bezazian collect donations? Why not tell people to give directly to the library?
As a city agency, Chicago Public Library doesn't accept donations directly.
Doesn’t Chicago Public Library already have a friends group? Why have another group for the branch?
You’re probably thinking of Chicago Public Library Foundation, a wonderful ally and partner of Chicago Public Library. It’s hard to imagine where our city's library system would be without the foundation. Thanks to its support, CPL has the funds it needs to implement big ideas for all library users, like increasing digital access or improving computer literacy among seniors or supporting student access to innovative technology.
Our own ideas can be pretty big, too, of course - what else would you call our goal of a new or completely renovated Bezazian? But our focus is rigorously local. We think about our neighborhood, our needs, and what we can do to increase our branch's capacity to serve our community. Furthermore, the funds we raise are earmarked for our branch alone.
We believe both approaches to supporting the library - regional and local - are critically important.
How do you decide what to fund?
From the beginning, we agreed on three general funding priorities: programs, services, and improvements to the facility itself.
We also agreed that our decisions should be made in consultation with branch librarians. No one knows the library and its patrons like they do. Our job is to support their good work.
When it comes to funding, we gather our own ideas and then we ask the librarians: What do you need? What would you like to do? What are patrons asking for? What would you think about doing this, or that?
We use their answers to set our annual budgets and funding targets, with some extra built in for unanticipated needs.
What kinds of things has Friends of Bezazian funded in the past?
Anything and everything, really. Magic shows and face painting. Lectures, performances, and movies. Art supplies. A CD player. A good speaker for Zoom programs. A puppet theater and comfy bean bag chairs. Books for all ages.
Flowers for the flower boxes. Charging cables and cord covers, so library users don’t trip on power cords. Table dividers so patrons could safely use reference materials during the pandemic. Transit passes for some of the clients working with the social worker.
DVD stands, so popular or new titles could be displayed instead of just shelved. A historic mural, painted by neighborhood children, brought back to life. The Biblio Bike and a sturdy awning, so our library could hit the road and set up at the Argyle Night Market.
Whatever enhances programs, services, or the facility itself is fair game.