Gray Public Library Association - Annual Fundraising Letter

Dear Friends,

By any accounting and measuring, the Gray Public Library has had a fantastic year. Record numbers of new members come through the door every day; the now decade-old renovation to the building at 5 Hancock continues to amaze and inspire both first time and regular visitors; patron circulation increased so much over last year that by the end of October the library had already checked out more items than it did in the entirety of 2023; and the meeting rooms are frequently booked with both library programming and community organization use. Despite representing about 3% of the overall Town budget, the library offers among the most public service hours of any municipal department in the Town and is frequently cited as one of the Town’s most prized assets.
We are all fortunate and appreciative of the Town of Gray, and its community members, for their support and creation of the Gray Library. Thanks to the annual funds provided to the library, the building is maintained, the collections are constantly and uniquely refreshed, and the staff is paid for their extraordinary skills and talents. But there is one added element that truly helps make the Gray Library extraordinary – you.
It is support from people like you that truly elevates the Gray Public Library in becoming a remarkable community resource that is prized, valued, and well-used. Through donations to the Gray Public Library Association, the independent 501(c)3 non-profit organization that supports the programs and activities of the library, you are helping the light of the library become an even more precious asset to the community.
If you enjoyed any of the amazing speakers at the library this year, from American Idol sensation Julia Gagnon to bestselling author Paul Doiron, you can thank the GPLA for that. If you used a discount or free pass to the Maine Wildlife Park, Portland Children’s Museum, Maine Botanical Garden, or Maine State Park, these are all made available courtesy of the GPLA. If your child has delighted in cuddling with the pile of stuffed animals on the couch of the Youth Services area, you have the GPLA to thank for that. If you enjoyed a bag of popcorn and a drink while watching a favorite movie in 4K on the library’s 150-inch screen, you have the GPLA to that for that, too.
And the GPLA has YOU to thank for its ability to support and supplement the great work being done by the Gray Library. The Gray Public Library Association seeks to bolster and further the support that the library already receives. And thanks to the donations from community members like you, the Gray Public Library will continue to be the biggest little library in Maine.
Thank you for your continued support.

Words from the Board