Endowment

“A library is not a luxury but one of the necessities of life.” — Henry Ward Beecher

The needs of the Memphis Public Library & Information Center continue to expand as new information resources and technology become available. Funding from public sources and the generosity of the organizations, businesses and individuals who contribute through the Foundation for the Library go a long way toward meeting those needs. But a special kind of investment in the library, an endowment, provides a permanent source of income and ensures that the community will always have the resources of the library available. Interest income from the library endowment is used to enhance library collections, technology, programs and services.

A contribution to the library endowment is a visionary gift that sustains the library in perpetuity. Endowment funds have already been established for collections, programs and the Central Library. The Foundation for the Library is placing increasing importance on endowment growth to assure the Library's ability to enhance and adapt all of its services in the future.