December 6, 2024 Submitted by The Hingham Public Library
The Board of Trustees of the Hingham Public Library has begun its annual appeal for support with a letter and contribution card to every household in town.
“We are reaching out for your vital support,” wrote Board Chair Aylene Calnan, “so we can continue delivering a consistent level of excellence with innovation and enriching materials and programs that spark imagination and create opportunities for lifelong learning.” While a majority of the total funding for the Library are appropriated by the Town, for salaries, building operations, and capital outlay, a majority of the funds for the Library’s core mission depends on fund-raising by the Trustees. That mission includes myriad collections, programs, classes, and other services – all free to the users.
In the last fiscal year, 10,421 patrons of all ages have attended 513 programs, all funded by the Trustees primarily through the Annual Appeal. That funding also helps pay for books, eBooks, magazines, music, movies and various online resources – which were borrowed 369,061 times. The Library line in the Town’s operating budget represents less than 2 percent of the total, which makes the Library the greatest bargain in Town. This year’s goal for the Annual Appeal is $90,000. Contributions can be made by check made out to the Hingham Public Library and mailed or delivered to the Treasurer at 66 Leavitt
Street, or online through the Library’s website, www.hinghamlibrary.org. Contributions can be made well into the new year credited to the appeal.
“By investing in the Library,” Chair Calnan wrote in her letter, “you are helping us to reach our goal and supporting our mission to enrich the lives of people of all ages through the valuable programs, services, and physical and digital offerings that you have come to expect from us.”