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Endowment Support Greatly Impacts Watauga County Library, Providing Funding for Programs

Monica Caruso, Watauga County Librarian, is pictured at left with members of the endowment board during their most recent presentation of funds to the library: Tish Rokoske, Terry Hamilton, Kathy Idol, Ala Moretz, Don Olander, Pat Morgan and Jack James.

By Sherrie Norris

In its ongoing effort to support literacy, and especially the local public library, members of the Watauga County Library Endowment recently presented a gift to the library in the amount of $8,060.

Those funds have been earmarked for a poster-size printer for Storywalk and other programs, in addition to serving as matching funds for the Emergent Readers Alphabet Ready initiative and helping to fill a funding gap for youth books.

This latest gift is just one of many since the endowment’s inception in 1997.

According to Jack James, charter member and current endowment treasurer, the nonprofit organization has donated, to date, nearly $82,000 in support to the Watauga County Library, thanks to private donations and ongoing support of its members, as well as careful investment and management practices of its board of directors.

Similar to the work of the Friends of the Library in its interest in and passion for the library, the Watauga Library Endowment has a far-reaching and long-term impact by supplementing the library funds raised through private sources and providing support in vital areas not supported by government or other community funding.

The endowment invests all contributions and uses only the income from those investments — the earnings of which are able to provide enormous benefits to the library

These gifts — for over two decades — have helped provide for a number of non-funded efforts for which the library and its patrons are greatly appreciative, according to librarian Monica Caruso.

“We are very fortunate to have an endowment foundation here at the Watauga County Public Library,” said Caruso. “The endowment provides us with funding for collections, technology updates, special projects and matching funds for grants.”

The Watauga Library Endowment funds are administered through the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina. All contributions are tax deductible and may be in the form of cash, appreciated stocks, property or a bequest, with many given in honor or in memory of someone special to you as a way to keep their memory alive for many years to come.

Additional information is available in endowment pamphlets, which can be obtained at the Watauga County Public Library, 140 Queen St, Boone, NC 28607. 

Checks may be made out to CFWNC, with Watauga Library Endowment on the memo line. 

You will not want to miss the December issue of High Country Magazine, which will provide a closer look at the library and its partnering organizations, including the Watauga County Library Endowment and Friends of the Library.