Our June board meeting was the last one of our fiscal year, and the last one for three of our cherished board members: Tim Jaeger, Sarah Karon, and Judy Liersch. We extend our heartfelt thanks for their leadership and unwavering support for public libraries and the Library Foundation. |
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Property Tax Update and Next Steps |
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On Tuesday June 2, the Florida Senate and House approved the Governor’s property tax proposal. This tax plan will now be placed on the November ballot as a proposed amendment. It will need 60% of Florida voters to approve it to become law. We will be working from now until Election Day to educate our community about the risks this amendment poses to library funding and to local control of our community’s resources.
To stay informed, follow our Take Action page and sign up for our newsletter for updates. Or to get involved, reach out to us at hello@sarasotalibraryfoundation.org.
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Summer Reading Challenge Takes Off |
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Just a few weeks into Summer Learning at our Sarasota County Libraries and readers have already logged more than 700,000 reading minutes and the number keeps growing. The program's theme, "Plant a Seed, Read," encourages participants of every age to explore new interests and grow their love of reading. The Summer Reading Challenge continues through August 15th so there’s still plenty of time to plant a seed, read, log, and watch your progress bloom. A special thank you to our generous donors who made this program possible.
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Mark your calendars for the Library Foundation’s 15th annual Love Our Libraries Author Luncheon! This year’s event will be held on Friday, February 5th at 11:30 am at The Ora. We’ll be announcing our wonderful guest author when tickets go on sale in October. In the meantime, see all the great things that our 2026 attendees supported at our libraries.
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Public Library Fundraising Conference |
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Library Foundation team members attended the 2027 International Public Library Fundraising Conference hosted by the beautiful Columbus Metropolitan Library in Ohio. More than 200 public library fundraisers, board members, library leaders, and partners came together with a singular focus: strengthening and advancing each other’s work. The sessions were both practical and aspirational and covered topics on creating productive collaborations, building stewardship systems, and advocating for public libraries.
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Creating a Meaningful Legacy |
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A planned gift is a powerful way to ensure that the library resources you value today will be available for generations to come. By including the Library Foundation as a beneficiary in your will, insurance policy, or retirement account, you can leave a meaningful legacy that supports literacy and access to knowledge. To learn more, speak with your financial advisor or contact Alisa Mitchell, Executive Director, at 941.404.4985.
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Great communities
deserve great libraries. |
Your tax-deductible gift helps ensure the future of our libraries as an indispensable community resource. Learn about all the ways to give here. Thank you for your generous support. |
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We champion strong public libraries, support innovation and help to extend the library system’s reach for everyone in Sarasota. |
The Library Foundation for Sarasota County is a qualified tax exempt charity under §501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and is registered with the Florida Department of Agriculture Consumer Services under §496.405, Registration No. CH35489 |
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