Alexandria Library Foundation

More Than a Place, The Library is a
Community.

Walk into any Library in
Alexandria and you will see countless children, sprawled across cozy carpets
and chairs, listening as they are transported to pirate ships, mystical
forests, or mysterious islands. Our Libraries are where kids come to make friends, listen to stories, grow their imaginations, and learn to be good
members of the community.

Our community knows that the
real treasures of the Alexandria Library System are the more than 2,000 programs for people of all ages. From Baby Bounce to ELL Workshops, the
Library’s events are crucial places for the community to come together—and that
is where the Alexandria Library Foundation comes in. The Foundation provides
funding for many of these important programs and much more, so that our children and
community can continue to grow.

 

Inspiring Lifelong Readers

Each summer, the Foundation helps sponsor SummerQuest, a reading incentive program that captivates thousands of
participants. This program offers free access to books
and activities, nurturing a love for reading among children, teens, and adults.
In 2024, we saw a 59% increase in signups, over 1,500 children complete our
SummerQuest program, and over 85% of participants reporting increased reading
habits as a result.

Resources for Everyone

The Foundation enhances the
Library's resources by helping fund the acquisition of popular books, e-books,
technology, and databases. With the loss of federal funding for libraries, your
gifts are needed more than ever to ensure that we can provide the tools our
patrons need.

 

Empowering through Access

Our outreach services meet
people where they are, delivering Library materials to individuals or to group
facilities such as nursing homes, and empowering disabled patrons to utilize Library
services. We want to further our reach by bringing our new e-vehicle to
pop-up programs such as community fairs, parks and much more.

Celebrating Community
Connections

The Foundation helps fund events
that focus on the rich backstory of our community, whether it is Hispanic
Heritage Month or the Black Family Reunion, which gathered approximately 4,000
photos and historic documents from our community.

Your contribution to the Alexandria Library Foundation ensures that our children’s
programs, our outreach services, our resources and other vital events can
continue.

Donate today, so that our
community can thrive tomorrow. 

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Our Mission

strengthening our community through the funding of the Alexandria
Library System, resulting in accessible programming, resources, services, and spaces
where everyone is welcome to learn, create, and connect.

The continued generosity of the
community is needed for Alexandria Library to provide the excellence in service
and materials our residents deserve. We would like to thank everyone for their
generous donations.

Who We Are

History
Chartered in 1998, the Alexandria Library Foundation was formed to enhance the Alexandria Library's services through private donations. In 1999, when asked for $50,000 to meet increased demand for books and electronic information for the new Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Library, the City approved instead a $25,000 challenge grant. The donors to the Foundation met this challenge.

50-50 challenge
In 2000, with the opening of the new library, the Library asked the City to add $50,000 to our operating budget in response to the increased demand for materials and services. The City offered a second challenge grant of $25,000, which required matching funds by the Foundation.

In 2019, Alexandria Library celebrated its 225 anniversary of the public library and 80th anniversary of the Alexandria Library Sit-In on 1939 - two milestones that changed the history of the library.

This year, we ask you to help us raise $10,000 to help support Alexandria Library. Will you help us meet our goal?