By Janet Pugh, President
From Merriam-Webster
1 a stone forming a part of a corner or angle in a wall
specifically : such a stone laid at a formal ceremony
2 a basic element : FOUNDATION
a cornerstone of foreign policy
On October 3rd the SCLS Foundation will hold its Cornerstone event. This got me thinking about Cornerstones … both those corner stones at the base of buildings that remember when the building was built and cornerstones that are the foundations of things we consider important.
Memorable corner stones remind us of how old our structures are, how long they have served us, and how those buildings hold memories of good times and bad. Does your library have a cornerstone? Maybe you remember when the library was built. You picture going into the library as a quiet place where your curiosity could run wild. A place where your children and grandchildren explored places and stories and people and things.
Each year at the Foundation’s Cornerstone event, we honor a person who has been a strong corner stone for the library community. These are people who have given their time, money, energy, and creativity to support their local library, the library system, and often Wisconsin’s library structure. Some have been volunteers, people who out of their love for the library have given their talents and time to keep libraries running well and into the future.
Some have been library employees, who give extra time to support the systems they have dedicated their careers to. Jaime Healy Plotkin, this year’s Cornerstone recipient is one of these. The list of boards and committees she has been part of and led is impressive. She has chosen not only to work in a library, but also to work for libraries! In addition, we will recognize several other library employees, whose colleagues see, every day, the energy and dedication keep the libraries we love working well.
And there’s more …. the Cornerstone event is a time to consider making a financial gift to the part of the Foundation that is managed by the Foundation’s Board of Directors. Proceeds from this part of the Foundation are used to buy something that will benefit all the libraries in the South Central Library System, from e-books during the pandemic to books in the Professional Development Collection that serves all librarians.
It would be lovely if you can join us on October 3rd. The food will be good, the spirit high, and the company great.
Janet