In 2003, the library received its first grant from the Proteus Foundation. Their support was transformative. The funds they provided intermittently over the next fifteen years or so provided many of the “bells and whistles” that made the library so great. The grant funds allowed us to stay on the vanguard of technology, to upgrade and expand our collections, to introduce new technologies and services, and to generally provide the cool stuff that everyone loved so much.
In 2005, in a letter reporting on the benefits of their first gift the library director wrote, “While we were able to make many critical improvements to our library, the most important thing your gift provided was a buffer against the winds of fortune blowing from Richmond. The last time libraries in Virginia were fully funded by the state was 2000. The very next year we were hit with budget cuts that slashed 37% from our budgets. This library was forced to employ some serious austerity measures. Libraries still aren’t fully funded, and we never know year to year how we are going to fare. Your gift has really helped us at a time when we needed it. You can’t imagine how thankful we are that you thought of us.”
Proteus Foundation gifts kept coming for many years after and the library and community enjoyed exponential benefits. We remain so thankful.
