November private funding numbers are just in, adding another $12,587 to the thermometer, mainly from donations to the annual fund campaign. The rest came from cash receipts (for printing, fines and fees), sales from the Friends’ Book Sale Nook, and general donations — which include the donation box and contributions that fall outside the ‘annual fund’ umbrella.
With less than three weeks to go in 2020, the total stands at $77,075, or 71.3% of the goal.
In this most challenging of years, we are especially grateful for your donations and support as we balanced serving the community with the safety of staff, volunteers and patrons.
Please help us close the gap (still nearly $31K) by making a tax deductible, year-end donation. Click here or on the ‘donate’ button below to make a secure donation or to set up a monthly contribution in any amount. You can also help the library by using AmazonSmile when you shop online, at no additional cost. Other ways to help the library can be found here.
Please help support 2021 local funding
Funding for 2021 is still up in the air as our local municipal partners make tough decisions in the coming days about where to allocate limited resources. The library typically gets a third of its funding from local municipalities, so a lot rides on their decisions, as a shortfall in public funding would mean additional pressure on private donations and a possible reduction in services.
We were pleased to learn that the Commonwealth of PA will keep funding for libraries at its current level in 2021, sending a strong message about the importance of their role in the community. Upper Milford has also committed to fund EPL at its current level. Macungie and Emmaus will make their decisions in the coming days, and your voice can make a difference.
If you live in Macungie or Emmaus, please ask your local council members to fund EPL at the same level in 2021 and tell them how important the library is to you, your family and the community.
- Emmaus: Go here for a list of council members and contact info, and here for a sample email.
- Macungie: Go here for a list of council members and contact info, and here for a sample email.
If you live in Upper Milford, please take a moment to email your Board of Supervisors to thank them for their continued support of the library.
Thank you — we couldn’t do what we do without you!
Note: For new readers, or anyone who’d like a refresher on what private funding is and why it’s so important to the library, check out ‘Where does the library get its money?’ and ‘A decade of library financials’ from our blog archives.
