West Tisbury Library

Receives Generous Gift

Summer resident Betty Franklin has donated $50,000 to the Friends of the West Tisbury Library, one of the largest gifts ever made on behalf of the library.

Susan Wasserman, president of the Friends, announced the gift at a joint meeting of the library trustees and the Friends on Jan. 17.

“Betty has summered on the Vineyard for over 40 years,” Ms. Wasserman stated in a release, “and she has volunteered for the Friends of the Library for over 20. She both directed and handled pricing for the antiquarian book donations to the annual summer used book sale. She has such respect for the volunteers who run this book sale every year that she dedicated this donation to them.”

The gift has sparked discussion of the possibility of establishing an endowment for the library that is facing a new building project in its future. The West Tisbury Free Public Library is one of the smallest yet most actively used libraries on the Island. During this past December, 6,306 patrons used the library; during July the library welcomed 14,600 users.

The trustees and Friends are embarking on a strategic planning process to map the future of the West Tisbury Library. The strategic planning sessions began Jan. 24 and will continue in the months ahead. West Tisbury residents have been invited to attend the planning meetings. More information is available by calling library director Beth Kramer at 508-693-3366.