From the Ground Up - Spring 2024
A Message From The President
By Janet Pugh, President
SCLS Foundation Board
It’s spring …. well mostly. The bulbs are out, the trees are leafing, and sometimes there is sun and warm. A time of new beginnings. I’m Janet Pugh, the new president of the South Central Library System Foundation. I have been a librarian in the distant past, working in one of the state agencies (not DPI.) I am a persistent user of SCLS through our wonderful LINK system. I love libraries and all the friendly staff and wonderful books for all ages, and the fact that I can get books from any library in the South Central System.
When I stop to think about it, however, I know that it is a privilege to have the kind of system that we all enjoy. I won’t call it a “right” because it is something we have to work for and pay for. It would be very easy for me to take my local library for granted, to assume that it will always be there.
But when I hear the news and read the newspaper, I know that I can no longer assume that the library I know and love will stay the same or even continue to exist. The challenges abound! Keeping up with technology. Coping with challenges to the wide variety of books that are available to us. Paying those pesky taxes. Finding and keeping librarians and other staff who care for the library as much as I do.
All of this “downer” musing, however, also leads me to the wonder and joy of our library system and the SCLS Foundation. Because we believe in the future of public libraries, we began the Foundation just over ten years ago. By giving libraries a place to invest funds, the Foundation enables those libraries to look ahead to the needs of their public and be able to pay for those changing needs. With the System’s part of the Foundation, the Foundation Board of Trustees is able to find ways to support all system libraries in some small way.
I look forward to continuing to be on the Foundation Board and contributing to the health of our system and the health of our local libraries.
Tiny Art Shines in the Spotlight at DPL
By Theresa Walske, Vice President
SCLS Foundation Board
The Deerfield Public Library Staff and the community let their creativity shine at the community Tiny Art Exhibit April 10, 2024 in celebration of National Library Week. The reception served tiny snacks and a chance for community members and artists to mingle.
In mid-March, the Deerfield Public Library invited the community to pick up 4”X 4” canvasses on tiny easels from the library. Individuals were encouraged to be creative, use whatever medium they chose, and return to the library for the art exhibit. The community stepped up, submitting an array of amazing art made of mixed media, magazines, paint, paper, photographs, and yarn. A local high school art class was among the participants. The submitted themes were creative and honored the library and reading, among other themes. If you are in Deerfield, stop into the library to see the art displayed around the library.
Foundation Fund Performance
As of April 12, 2024, the fund balance was $5,916,272.48, of which $269,833.01 was held on behalf of the Foundation.
The gross return since inception on Dec. 1, 2012, is 6.54% and the one-year return was 14.70%
For more information about investing with the Foundation, please contact Shannon Schultz, SCLS Director, at (608) 246-7975 or sschultz [at] scls.info (sschultz[at]scls[dot]info).
Foundation Contributors
The SCLS Foundation would like to thank those individuals and organizations that have made monetary donations from January 1, 2024 to April 1, 2024.
- Andy’s Heating and Cooling
- BAE Systems
- Susan Barthel
- Tina & Christopher Bollig
- Charles Bunge
- Tana Elias & Andrew Clarkowski
- Lorne Hillier