A message from Shippen Page, Foundation Board President

Dear Friends,
 
When the world reopens and life resumes its new normal, the Cambridge Public Library will face one of the greatest challenges in its 130 year history – safely meeting our community’s growing educational, creative and collective needs. If you can consider a charitable gift, let me assure you that every dollar given to the Library today will impact the future of our community.
 
School closings caused by the pandemic have been a great challenge. Children and teens’
educations and academic progress have slowed or come to a complete halt. The Library has stepped in to bridge that gap with free, convenient educational programming steered by passionate youth librarians and unlimited access to the world of books. Your gift will help the Library continue to bridge this critical gap.
 
Entrepreneurs of all ages are making plans to advance their ideas and build out their dreams. The Library’s Hive Makerspace will fuel them with high and low-tech tools training, workspace and materials for creative projects, and classes for advanced learning. Your gift will help sustain STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) at the Library, fostering creativity and resilience.
 
Low income and marginalized individuals are struggling to navigate an increasingly complex and evolving world. Patrons need access to technology like hotspots (for internet access) and laptops that they check out and use at home for school, work and job seeking. The Library’s English language classes, instructional courses on basic computer skills, and community reputation as a safe and reliable place for help and information make it a lifeline for many. Your gift will enrich the Library’s offerings for our most vulnerable populations.
 
Finally, library staff must feel and be safe doing the job that they love – serving all of us. To that end, they need critical supplies and must pivot to do their work in new ways. Increased virtual programming means that staff require special equipment like headsets and software. Your gift will help the Library provide vital services during its closure and help reopen its doors as soon as it is safely possible. 
 
As we all adjust to this new normal, I am deeply grateful for the Cambridge Public Library – one of our community’s greatest assets. Thank you for considering a gift to support its work during this pandemic and for supporting the Library staff who will rise and meet the great challenges that lay ahead. 

​Stay safe and be well,