Help secure the long-term innovation and excellence in library services for our community.
What We Do
We strengthen the community by supporting Mead Public Library through philanthropy, advocacy and collaboration.
Gifts to the Foundation enable us to take the library to a level of excellence that cannot be achieved through city funding alone.
What We Support
Our funding priorities focus on enhancements to library facilities, technology, programs and collections.
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Past projects include:
The renovation of a storage room into an activity space inside the Henrietta A. Landwehr Children’s Library Center. The room now hosts weekly hands-on programs in art and science.
New furniture, computers and other technology ehancements inside the Hanson Teen Library Center on the second floor and the Maas Teen Learning Center on the third floor
Renovation of the Rocca meeting room with new carpeting and a modern projector and sound room to create an attractive space for hosting programs and community events
Design and decor enhancements, display units, integrated power for laptop use throughout the building
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Past projects include:
New self-checkout and check-in machines.
Purchase of 3D printers
New computers, upgraded work stations and enhanced WiFi accessibility
Website redesign which included usability assessment, mobile responsiveness and a contemporary design for an improved user experience
Digital Media Lab peripherals and software to provide a superior learning experience and allow patrons to create and edit digital photography, music, video animation and graphic design
Purchase of Radio Frequency ID tags (RFID) for easier shelving, location, and cataloging of collection, reducing staff time and provide more accurate information
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Ongoing programs include:
Summer Reading Programs for kids, teens and adults to promote community-wide literacy
Prestigious speakers from the WISCONSIN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, ARTS AND LETTERS on important issues.
Sewing classes, 3D printing workshops, music lessons, art classes and other educational programs for kids, teens and adults.
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Ancestry.com
Business Source
Consumer Health
Dorothy E. Werner Collection - Dorothy Werner was a notable Sheboygan woman active in Catholic lay organizations, community health, and scholarship programs. She left a bequest to the library of $100,000 which was applied to the distribution of current and accurate information designed to meet the needs of Sheboygan residents using state of the art information technology.
Fela & Anschel Warschau Collectionn
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Here are a few of the capital layouts and programs that will be made possible using Foundation grant money in the coming year
Capital
New book displays
Collection projects (relabeling, recasing, etc.)
Ongoing funding for the Mead Experience Pass Collection
Programming
Summer Reading Program
WinterGreen Festival
Lil' Rev music classes
Literature and poetry programs
Great Decisions World Affairs lecture series
Academy Talk lecture series
Mead Comic Con
Mead Community Radio
Storytimes
Why donate?
Many important library service enhancements and building improvements are possible only through private contributions, which supplement, but never supplant, public funding.
FAQs
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The Mead Public library Foundation is the private philanthropic arm of Mead Public Library. The Foundation, which is separate from Mead Public Library and the CITY OF SHEBOYGAN, seeks private support for purchases, services and building enhancements that cannot be provided by local government funding. These private contributions are meant to supplement, but never supplant, public funding.
The Foundation is managed by a board of professionals and private citizens selected for the diversity of their talents. It is a 501(c)(3) supporting organization registered with the IRS and State of Wisconsin. All contributions to it are deductible to the extent allowable by law.
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Mead Public Library is managed by a BOARD OF TRUSTEES appointed by the mayor of Sheboygan. The trustees set policy for the library and provide oversight for its director, who is in charge of day-to-day operations.
The City of Sheboygan’s general fund pays for Mead Public Library operations, including staff, utilities, fixtures and building maintenance.
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Public libraries have operated as public/private partnerships since the founding of our nation. U.S. libraries today receive an average of 90% of their funding from government. The remainder comes from charitable giving, grants, and earned income.
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Both are private non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations. Both entities are managed by volunteer boards. Both organizations provide critical services and needed funding for Mead Public Library.
The mission of the all-volunteer FRIENDS OF MEAD PUBLIC LIBRARY is to support the library through fundraising, volunteerism and collaboration. The Friends raises money through its used bookstore and through regular book sales, which feature books that have been removed from Mead Public Library’s collection, as well as books donated by community members. The Friends annual books sales now top $10,000, with the proceeds supporting library programs, special events, book purchases and other area of the library.
The mission of the Mead Public Library Foundation is to strengthen the community by supporting the library through philanthropy, advocacy and collaboration. Mead Public Library identifies priority projects and makes an annual request to the Foundation for funding. The library foundation manages an endowment fund and designated funds for Mead Public Library.
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The Mead Public Library Foundation accepts and appreciates gifts of any size as well as bequests or trusts for its endowment fund. Additionally, a financial gift may be specifically earmarked for a special project.
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The FRIENDS OF MEAD PUBLIC LIBRARY accepts donations of books and sells them to the public. The organization maintains a drop-off box in the used bookstore on the library’s first floor. For donations bigger than one full box, please call 920-459-3400, ext. 2049.
