Brentwood, CA – The Friends of the Brentwood Library and the Brentwood Library Foundation (BLF) this week jointly announced that the Thomas J. Long Foundation of Walnut Creek, California, has awarded the organizations a financial grant for the production of an educational and promotional video centered around the benefits that a new, full featured library can bring to the community.
“We’re excited to be able to use this grant to make a film to show the difficulty of providing library service in the current space. We can also show the exciting possibilities of a bigger library,” said Diane Alexander, President of the Friends of the Brentwood Library as well as Director and Secretary of the Brentwood Library Foundation.
Brentwood demolished its library building in 2009 to make way for City Hall, the Community Center and a parking structure. Since that time the library and library services have operated out of re-purposed business offices at 104 Oak Street, just across the street from the Civic Center.
“Our Foundation greatly appreciates the support of the Thomas J. Long Foundation as we continue to make progress toward our goal of helping to make a new library in Brentwood a reality,” said Dr. Shirley S. Peck, president of the Brentwood Library Foundation as well as Vice President of the Friends of the Brentwood Library.
The Thomas J. Long Foundation has been supporting local charitable organizations for over 40 years, helping fund grass roots organizations that provide programs and services to inspire and benefit the people of Contra Costa County.
While much of the creative work still needs to be done the original idea for the video was to capture the real-life stories of library patrons, telling how the library has had an impact on local residents. The video would describe the facilities other local libraries have and the types of programs and services the Brentwood Library could offer should a new, full featured library be built.
About the Friends of the Brentwood Library
The Friends of the Brentwood Library is an organization dedicated to improving library services in Brentwood. Through membership donations and Book Sale earnings, the Friends provide the library with books, DVDs, magazines, and compact discs. We also provide children’s and cultural programs for the community. Together with 27 other Friends organizations in Contra Costa County, the combined Friends organizations last year volunteered 67,531 hours, donated over $771,000 towards the purchase of new library books and materials, and raised over $1,033,000 to sponsor programs for children, teens, and adults and to provide funding for furniture and equipment. There were 2,719 Friends of the Library and Foundation members reported countywide.
About the Brentwood Library Foundation
The Brentwood Library Foundation is a non-profit IRS 501c3 public benefit corporation formed in 2014. Its mission is to support the Brentwood Library’s programs and services through advocacy, fundraising, and by building relationships with others who share a passion for the Library’s work.
If you would like to contribute financially to the BLF to energize the effort to build a new library in Brentwood, send your check to Dr. Shirley S. Peck, President and Fundraising Committee Chair, BLF, care of the Brentwood Library, 104 Oak Street, Brentwood, CA 94513.
Information submitted by the Brentwood Library Foundation
