The Garfield County Libraries are thrilled to announce Jim Calaway has recently donated $100,000 to the Libraries’ Foundation. Calaway, a resident of Carbondale, is no stranger to philanthropy or contributing to the local community.
“Jim Calaway's generosity has done so much to make Carbondale and Garfield County the vibrant and preeminent communities that they are,” said Jeannine Stickle, manager of the Carbondale Branch Library. “Mr. Calaway has always been a wonderful library supporter, and we are so grateful for his generous donation and continued support. His donation will go a long way to make sure that the Carbondale Branch and the other branches of the Garfield County Libraries continue to meet the needs of their communities.”
Calaway’s donation to the Libraries Foundation will provide a much needed boost to the 501(c)(3) which supports the Library District and facilitates outreach programs like Books for Babies.
"Mr. Calaway’s gift comes at a critical time in the history of our libraries, and we are deeply grateful for his generosity,” stated Jesse Henning, executive director of the Garfield County Libraries.
This year, the Library District has been dealing with a $1.2 million drop in property tax revenue and had to cut the operations budget by nearly thirty percent at the end of 2016. That meant that the libraries began the year with no money in the budget to fund events at any of the six branches in 2017.
To bridge the gap, the Library District has been working to secure grant funding for events, as well as finding local talent to teach classes – such as with the Community Education Network in Silt. Part of the Calaway donation will combine with other grants to provide the 2017 Summer Reading Program, in which over 5,000 kids, teens, and adults were registered last year.
This recent donation is an advance on the $150,000 legacy gift Calaway committed to the Carbondale Branch Library last year. The donation is intended to be a community catalyst, and other community members are encouraged to explore donating to the Garfield County Libraries Foundation.
“Mr. Calaway’s gift is an inspiration for residents who value their public libraries,” said Henning. “I am proud to announce that the Garfield County Libraries will be naming the meeting space in the Carbondale Branch the Calaway Community Room to mark Mr. Calaway’s steadfast belief in our mission. We are honored to have Jim’s continued support and are thankful to have such generous friends in our library family.”
If you are interested in making a donation or leaving a legacy gift please contact the Garfield County Libraries’ Executive Director Jesse Henning at jhenning@gcpld.org or 970-625-4270.