When donating to our Annual Appeal via our online, secure sever – you are given the option to select your gift amount, enter your contact information, and select your payment via card or bank transfer. It’s as simple as 3-steps. You are only charged for the amount in which you are gifting. Start the donation process on the box to the right – we thank you for your continued support!

Dear Friend,

I think we can all agree that 2020 continues to be a tough year for everyone.

Just recently the library has had to cut its hours by more than half. We are now only open for 24 hours a week. This in turn has meant furloughing staff and slashing book and program budgets.

In spite of all of the challenges our community has faced and continues to face… as a public library we have had to find ways to fulfill our core mission: to enrich the lives of the citizens of the greater Waynesboro area by providing free access to materials, information, programs and services through well maintained collections, qualified staff, up-to-date technology and partnerships with other libraries. In spite of public health circumstances, our library has been busier than ever. In this time, we remain dedicated to being a safe, free and open library, serving everyone in this community regardless of age, race, religion or financial status. In order to do that, we have had to find ways to continue to enrich the lives of the people in our community while at a distance. 

This year – even though we were forced to close for almost four months – the staff kept busy. We moved our educational programs online to help support the greater children learning at home. In short order, we developed virtual programs from Storytime and cooking shows, to game nights and nature walks. The library staff kept working during quarantine to make that happen. Every week, we brainstormed new ideas and developed a catalogue of interests around our patrons and worked hard to react to daily changing news and restrictions at our library. 

This is what happened:

• 13,739 people watched the online programs – in August alone!

• By the end of the year we will have spent $10,000 on eBooks for our patrons.

• During August, we hosted more than 131 zoom meetings for clubs and programs.

• We launched curbside pickup for books and DVDs when people could not come inside

.• After our reopen, more than 3,400 people came into the library.

You may be surprised to learn that state and county only provide about 60% of what the library needs every year to operate. The federal government and the borough give us nothing. And next year, we will certainly face cuts to that capital. 

So here we are, asking you to help us make up the difference. 

In order to buy books, pay staff, keep the building in repair and maintain technology, we really need any help that you can afford. For those of you who were fortunate enough this year to retain your job and keep your businesses afloat: please share what you can. Any amount will go directly into helping people who haven’t been as fortunate and rely on our community resources at the library. 

Make this part of your legacy.

Patrick Fleagle
President, Board of Directors