Everyone can enjoy lifelong learning at the public library. Children stretch imaginations with story hours, live performers, and family programs. Adults sharpen skills, pursue special interests, and find information needed for business or pleasure. Today, the library offers not only books, but audio-books, and videos that teach and entertain. Through computers, the library provides public access to new information networks that reach around the corner or around the world.
In recent years, the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library has seen dramatic growth in collection, facilities, and demand for services. Ten branches, including a bookmobile, serve a combined population of 185,000 in the City of Charlottesville and the Counties of Albemarle, Greene, Louisa and Nelson. This is the largest geographic area covered by any Virginia library. There are many ways citizens of our community can help the library system. Please read below:
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Jefferson-Madison Regional Library Endowment Fund: Swings in the economy and demands on tax revenues have increasingly shown that public funding alone cannot meet all the needs of a superior library system. Stable private support is essential to continue development of quality public library service. To encourage private support, in 1992 the Friends of the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library created this Endowment Fund as a separate funding mechanism to address library needs over the long term. The Fund is used to foster opportunities for creativity, innovation and enhancement of the delivery of public library services through the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library. Endowment distributions do not relieve local governments of their responsibility for basic funding, but provide an ongoing source of additional
money for services that reach beyond minimum standards.
The Endowment Fund was established as part of the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation. This approach avoids the administrative burden of handling an endowment; maximizes investment income and reduces investment costs; and provides donors with the most favorable tax advantages available under law. Library requests for funding from the Endowment are recommended by a Library Endowment Advisory Committee and approved by the Trustees of the Community Foundation.
Please consider making a gift to the Friends of the Library Endowment Fund. To make a gift now, receive more information, or discuss your interest in the Endowment Fund, print out and return the donation form.
- Buy a Book: you can purchase a book for the library system as a memorial, in honor of a special occasion, or as a donation from your organization. For each $25 you donate, you may designate the name to be placed on a special bookplate in a new book. The book will become part of the library's collection to be shared with other readers for a long time. Print out (PDF) and return the Buy A Book form.
- Volunteer at the Library: find out how
- Friends of the Library: Join the Friends of the Library and find out the many ways they help J-MRL. The Friends accepts donations of used books which go to their very successful book sale; revenue from the book sale is then used for J-MRL programming.
- Specific Donations: Donations of specific items to the collection must be pre-approved. Please contact Collection Development (979-7151 ext. 203)
