As 2023 comes to a close, we are reaching out to our library community to ask for your much-needed support. We remain grateful for taxpayer support through the Town of Fairfield; however, this annual allocation provides one-fifth of our annual operating budget. Pequot Library must independently raise around 80 percent of its annual operating budget of $1.6 million through private contributions like yours. Yes, that’s right—we have to raise over $1 million dollars a year to carry out our mission to enrich lives by serving the cultural, educational, and intellectual needs of the entire community.

This year, more than any other in my tenure as executive director since 2016, I see how vital Pequot Library is as a community-wide asset. This library is more than the books we house and lend. We are a community gathering place for the Village of Southport and Fairfield, a resource center for information, and a cultural beacon for countless visitors from all over the area.

Your thoughtful financial contribution is critical to our ability to serve as a library for a broad public and as a free community resource. Over the past year, with your support, we developed a strategic plan that sets priority goals in seven major areas for the next three years. We were also able to rebuild the staff to pre-pandemic levels. And, with the strategic direction and staff resources, we offered 485 programs to an expanded audience of 46,000, representing a 64 percent and 38 percent increase, respectively, over the prior year. Your support this year enables us to welcome K-12 school students for field trips, offer a robust lineup of after-school programming, present an outstanding schedule of author talks, and much more!

Pequot Library relies on your support, which is greatly appreciated. Can you help us in two ways this year? We cannot sustain increasing operating costs without growing our base of 425 donors. Please help us spread the word about Pequot Library as a local and national treasure. You can bring a friend to a library event or for a visit on your own schedule. Better still, share this request with others who may be interested in supporting the library.

The second way you can help us is to support this annual appeal with your contribution. Please be as generous as you can at this time. The fundraising goal for this year’s annual appeal is $150,000. Supporters who donate $250 or more before December 31 will receive a limited edition Pequot Library car magnet as a token of our thanks. May we count on you to renew—or even increase, if you can—your donation at year-end 2023?

Thank you,

Stephanie J. Coakley

Executive Director