Along with the start of construction for the Library’s 7,850 sq. ft. expansion, fundraising for the project is underway as well. The Reimagine Your Library Capital Campaign kicked off with a community-wide mailing in June with a goal of raising $1 million.
The response has been heartfelt, reinforcing the importance of the Library to the community. Along with donations from individuals, a major gift of $250,000 was received from the Alvin H. Baum Family Fund. In recognition of the gift, the new planned community meeting room will be named the Alvin H. Baum Family Fund Community Meeting Room.
“People mattered to Al and Ann Baum, the couple the Alvin H. Baum Family Fund is named for. Al was a lifelong resident of Highland Park, and he would want his neighbors to have a library that meets the community’s needs. The Alvin H. Baum Family Fund is pleased to make a gift that will help the Library’s expansion become a reality,” said Joel M. Friedman, president of the Baum Fund. Joel and his wife, Iris, have lived in Highland Park since 1977 and raised their family here.
The Alvin H. Baum Family Fund has generously supported various Library initiatives over the years including Library U, the Library’s series of adult education classes, and the Library’s exhibits Pride & Passion: The African-American Baseball Experience and In a Nutshell: The Worlds of Maurice Sendak. Now, the new community meeting room, a major element of the Library’s expansion, will bear the Baum Family Fund name. It’s here that the community will come together for the Library’s impactful literary and cultural programs featuring noteworthy speakers, award-winning and bestselling authors, acclaimed musicians, and others. And it’s here where the community will find opportunities for lifelong learning, enrichment, enjoyment, and connection.
This generous gift from the Alvin H. Baum Family Fund marks a landmark donation to the Reimagine Your Library Capital Campaign. Donations of all amounts are welcome and all donations of $500 or more will be recognized on the donor wall. It’s the community-wide support that will help turn the vision of a new Library into a Library that will serve Highland Park residents now and for generations to come.
