Eric,

Vice President, Mays Chemical Company

I grew up in Dayton, Ohio, in an inner-city neighborhood. The library in our neighborhood was a sanctuary for a handful of us kids. It was a haven where we could get books and read and do something different. I remember getting gold stickers I could cash in for prizes during the summer. I picked up habits there that have stuck with me. The library has a special place in my memories, and as a result I support the Library Foundation now, so other kids can have those same experiences.

Tom,

Public Services Librarian, Central Library

I have worked for the Indianapolis Public Library for more than 23 years. During that time, I have benefited from the Library Foundation’s support for everything from adding additional books to the collection to financial support for ideas for new programs I wanted to start. Thanks to Foundation support, the Library started the local music program, Hometown Roots, and the nonprofit workshop series, How to Build a Nonprofit Organization. As I’ve been involved in organizing the nonprofit workshops, I’ve seen the need for affordable training, specifically in the nonprofit sector, making the Foundation’s investment more significant to me. Their work on our behalf has much more than just a financial benefit for us.

Shanika,

Branch Manager, East Thirty-Eighth Street

Sometimes, we need others to encourage us to pursue our dreams.

When I started working at The Indianapolis Public Library, my colleagues and former managers always encouraged me to pursue my Masters of Library Science degree, since I have a passion for helping people succeed. I’m so thankful for their nudging and prompting to make this dream come true.

Thanks to the Indianapolis Public Library Foundation’s support, I was able to attend two major library conferences because part of my registration costs were covered. Through these conferences, I was able to learn skills needed to become an effective library leader.

Now, as a Branch Manager, I want all my fellow colleagues to have the same kind of encouragement I received. I give to support my colleagues’ professional development, so they can hone the necessary skills to be great assets to our patrons!

Jim,

Manager, Amica Mutual Insurance Company

Amica Insurance supports The Indianapolis Public Library Foundation because when you give people education, you open up the world for them.

Personally, it’s been great to watch where my kids were before they could read and now that they can read… it’s wonderful to see how much that changed their confidence and opened up the world for them.

Professionally, you share the vision and the goal of providing the best resource possible to the community. I don’t think there’s anything in the world that replaces education. The Library helps to level that playing field and make those resources available to everybody regardless of their economic status.

At Amica, no less than nine people used Library computers to complete our job qualifying and screening tools online. It can’t be done on a smartphone. That’s a whole training class we wouldn’t have had if not for the resources of the Library.

The draw is the people and the educational benefit of the Library.