What is the Library Foundation?

The Gail Borden Public Library Foundation supports and celebrates the library’s quest to enhance literacy in this community and to sustain a world-class library district.  Last year, a staggering 1.2 million people visited the Library and checked out more than 2.3 million items.  This would not be possible without dedicated supporters. Strong libraries strengthen communities. Your support of the Gail Borden Public Library Foundation makes a tangible difference for everyone who uses our Library’s extraordinary services and resources.

We support reading initiatives, engaging exhibits that have changed lives, capital projects and more.  The Foundation is a nonprofit organization and donations are tax exempt.

This Library Started as a Gift

Library service in this community was built on a donation. Over 100 years ago, Samuel and Alfred Church gave the gift of a building to the citizens of Elgin Township as a new home for its library. They specified only that the library thereafter be known as the Gail Borden Public Library, in honor of their stepfather, Gail Borden.

The Gail Borden Public Library has been a vibrant educational and cultural institution, providing quality services, programs and collections.  By engaging and enriching the lives of readers of all ages, from Baby Rhyme Time for infants to computer classes for seniors, the library has been a leader in transforming lives. As new fields of knowledge and formats develop and as needs change, the library board and staff work to ensure that community needs are met.  

In 1993, the Gail Borden Public Library Foundation was established to provide resources and financial support to extend and improve library services and collections.  Through their efforts, the library’s new building, which opened in 2003, was enhanced with a terrazzo floor, a copper roof and a fireplace.   Other Foundation endeavors include purchase of a grand piano, providing a quality instrument for a concert series and other special events; support for museum-quality exhibits to stimulate the mind and encourage reading for all ages; and fundraising for the tile mural to enhance the beauty of the Rakow Branch Library.