TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Suncoast Pinellas News

Foundation formed to support East Lake Library

ADVERTISEMENT

BY MARK SCHANTZ

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 12, 2008

SUNCOAST NEWS STAFF

EAST LAKE - Almost a decade since it was constructed, the East Lake Community Library is now being supported by a tax-exempt foundation.

Various members of the Friends of the East Lake Library helped create the foundation with seed money from the nonprofit booster group.
Library Director Marie Miller said formation of the Greater East Lake Community Library Foundation is "a huge step" for the library and its some 34,000 patrons.

The foundation will help the library raise funds and acquire grants, she said.

Money is important for the library because it will need to expand in the next few years to serve the needs of the growing East Lake area, according to Miller.

The county has earmarked some money from the next 10 years of the Penny for Pinellas special sales tax for expansion of the East Lake Library, Miller said. Just how much money the library will get and exactly when it will get it, however, has not yet been decided, she said.

To meet the needs of residents, Miller said, the library will need to be expanded from its current 4,500 square feet to roughly 21,000 square feet. The foundation and the Friends of the East Lake Library will help make this nearly five-fold increase in library space possible, she said.

Because contributions to the foundation will be tax deductible, it should be a long-term source of funding help, Miller said.

The foundation is planning to hold money-raising events and to establish an endowment fund that would provide materials and equipment for the library.

Volunteers are needed to work with the foundation and serve as trustees. Anyone interested in serving should send a brief resume to: Greater East Lake Community Library Foundation, 4125 East Lake Road, Palm Harbor, FL 34685.

Mark Schantz can be reached

at 727-815-1075 or

mschantz@suncoastnews.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT