Trustees prioritize community room upgrades as library readies $65,000 MC Gives request

Trustees and library staff discussed how to spend an anticipated $65,000 from the MC Gives fundraising cycle, with the community room emerging as the top priority.

Staff told trustees the budget line is treated as a trust fund item so unspent dollars roll back into the library’s cash account, and that the Friends & Foundation handles the MC Gives application and is the ultimate decision maker about which projects the funder advances. Trustees said the board should present a clear, donor‑friendly narrative showing how money will be used.

Several trustees and staff urged investment in the community room because most adult programs, guest speakers and performances take place there. Participants said the current sound system and AV setup cannot support long features or larger events, and that accessibility is integrated with the AV system — meaning a piecemeal fix could be ineffective. Staff recommended first gathering quotes for replacements and modest visible donor recognition such as an entry plaque.

Trustees also discussed other potential uses — digital collections and youth programming were singled out as areas likely to appeal to MC Gives’ donor base — but agreed not to set hard percentages for allocations until staff returns cost estimates. Staff noted MC Gives historically emphasizes youth projects and newer donors, and suggested packaging proposals to align with those priorities.

Next steps: staff will obtain quotes for community room AV, acoustics and accessibility adjustments and coordinate project descriptions with the Friends & Foundation for the grant application.