Couple's gift to library sparks challenge

Warwick — For every $1 donated during the library’s annual appeal, Glenn and Susan Dickes will donate an additional 50 cents up to a personal donation of $10,000. That’s great news for the Albert Wisner Public Library and its Foundation, which is embarking on its fourth Annual appeal to raise funds to enhance the library’s collection and programs for the upcoming year. “The challenge is to spark other donations,” said Rosemary Cooper, the library director, explaining that the appeal is run under the auspices of the Library Foundation. “We have about 2,600 names on a data base, culled from previous donor lists. That’s over one thousand more names than in the past.” Last year, the appeal raised $18,000 — that was the best appeal yet. This year the goal is $20,000, which coincides with the Dickes’ $10,000 offer. If the library reaches its $20,000 goal, it will actually bring in $30,000 after the Dickes kick in their share. Last year, the annual appeal allowed the library to add new technology and books, and offer special programs to library users. “Donor support has been critical to our success,” said Cooper. “The appeal is not for the new library, but for support in running the library for this upcoming year.” The library actually has two groups working to enhance its place in the community—the Friends of Albert Wisner Public Library and the Albert Wisner Public Library Foundation. The Friends are an advocacy group and ‘friend’raiser, according to Cooper, which also raises money and generates involvement and community support for the library. The Friends organize the gala each year. The Foundation focuses on fundraising, taking a longer view of the library and its funding. It is a registered non-profit, formal reporting organization. “We all work together,” Cooper added. “The purpose (of the Foundation) is to promote awareness of the library and its services in the community, and to raise funds for the library to provide services beyond which might be appropriate for the taxpayers,” said Glenn Dickes. This isn’t the Dickes first big donation to the Albert Wisner Public Library. In each of the last two years, the Dickes donated $5,000 during the appeal. And last year the library announced an anonymous couple had pledged $100,000 to the library’s capital campaign on the condition that the public approve the $8.5 million bond to fund a new library. The public responded favorably and last week Cooper announced that it was indeed the Dickes who had pledged the $100,000. Why such a focus on the library? “We are great believers in the public library,” said Glenn Dickes. “The public library is a long tradition in the United States going back to the 1700s. If you behaved yourself you could use the collection and learn. It is a repository of learning. We thought the library would be a very good focus for our charitable giving.” “The library is important to a community,” added Susan Dickes, noting that she and her husband grew up in libraries. “Thanks to our parents, we were always big users of our library growing up. We are avid readers and big believers in the role of the public library.” Glenn Dickes said that Warwick is a wonderful place with a tremendous amount of support for local organizations including St. Anthony Community Hospital, Winslow Therapeutic Riding, and others. He felt that focusing his and his wife’s philanthropy on the library could make a difference. “Informed citizenry is one of the basic building blocks of a community,” said Glenn Dickes. “We can make a difference here.” And so can you. The library’s annual appeal runs through the winter. All contributions are tax deductible and a gift of at least $25 includes membership in the Friends of Albert Wisner Public Library. “We would like nothing more than to make our maximum contribution,” said Mr. Dickes. “We urge the community to support this effort generously.”