Opportunities Realized | Realize: Our Powers, Our Potential

Opportunities
Realized
Realize: Our Power, Our Potential
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s
Comprehensive Fundraising Campaign
2015 - 2022

“A Library outranks
any other one thing
a community can
do to benefit its
people. It is a never
failing spring in
the desert.”
ANDREW CARNEGIE

CARNEGIE LIBRARY OF PITTSBURGH
Campaign Highlights
Opportunities
Realized
Guided by our mission of literacy and learning, along with our community’s vision for
the future, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (CLP) embarked upon an ambitious $50
million fundraising campaign in 2015 to transform library services and shape the
region’s future.
The goal of Realize: Our Power, Our Potential was to increase strategic investments
in the areas of education, workforce and economic development, and neighborhood
vitality. The campaign also emphasized endowment and planned giving to ensure
the Library’s future sustainability.
Thanks to you and thousands of generous individuals and organizations who made
contributions between 2015 – 2022, the Library surpassed its campaign goal, raising
$51.7 million!
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Opportunities Realized 2015–2022
With your help, youth have welcoming places to gather, explore new interests and
connect with mentors. Parents and childcare providers have resources to engage
their preschoolers in early learning. Jobseekers are able to update their skills and
access computers, Wi-Fi, and powerful databases. Neighbors have opportunities to
read, learn and connect with one another.
This report highlights some of the many remarkable accomplishments you have
made possible.
Thank you for loving your Library and ensuring that this treasured community asset
can continue its mission to support literacy and learning for all.
Board and Staff of Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
2

$51.7 Million Raised
for Strategic Priorities
Facilities (Capital)
$20.2 Million
Operating Support
$12.1 Million
Transformational Programs
$10.9 Million
Endowment & Sustainability
$8.5 Million
Every gift from every contributor counted
in this comprehensive fundraising campaign.
We are grateful to all our generous donors for their support of our Library’s
strategic priorities in the areas of education, workforce and economic
development, and neighborhood vitality. During the Realize: Our Power,
Our Potential campaign period, generous gifts and grants from individuals,
foundations and corporations, along with competitive government grants:
• Enhanced daily Library operations through annual gifts.
• Transformed the Library through special gifts for enhanced programs
and services, facility improvements and innovations in our priority areas.
• Sustained Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh for future generations through
contributions to endowment or other planned gifts.
3

PRIORITY: EDUCATION
Early Learning
Realize
A Brighter
Future
Early literacy is an essential ingredient for the success of every child. It’s also an important
element in creating a healthy and resilient metropolitan area. Your financial support of
Realize: Our Power, Our Potential has enabled Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh to invest
significant resources in early learning programs and services to reach more children,
families and educators in our community, giving youth an opportunity to learn from the
moment they are born. Highlights of our accomplishments include:
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Opportunities Realized 2015–2022
• Support for parents in their role as their child’s first and most important teacher,
including resources and recommendations on developmentally appropriate
toys, books and technology.
• Growth of the Best Books for Babies program, which includes partnerships with
healthcare practitioners, parents, caregivers and organizations such as the
Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank.
• Enhanced interactive, playful Children’s spaces in neighborhood libraries
to encourage experiential learning and family play in an environment of
delight and wonder.
• Expanded resources available to teachers and home-based childcare providers,
including access to free professional development opportunities such as Every
Child Ready to Read workshops, family engagement activities and interactive
storytime sessions.
RIGHT
Best Books for Babies,
an early literacy
initiative designed
to help our youngest
children prepare for
a lifetime of reading
and learning, provides
new parents access
to high-quality books
for their babies.
4

“The first three years of brain
development are critical.
The more words children hear,
the more the speech and
language parts of their brains
are stimulated.”
ERIN ZAMBATARO
Coordinator of Children’s Services and Family Engagement

PRIORITY: EDUCATION
Out-of-School Time
Realize
Empowered
Youth
The Library is one of the few places outside of school where all young people can learn in a
nonjudgmental environment, supported by their peers and mentored by caring adults. Your
generosity to Realize: Our Power, Our Potential has allowed CLP to invest in learning
opportunities that reflect individual interests and help keep children and teens engaged in
learning throughout the year and focused on their future.
With your investment, the Library provides access to resources, the latest technology and
learning opportunities that enable students to learn on their own and develop critical
problem-solving, social, reading and teamwork skills. Examples of investments that inspire
and educate Pittsburgh youth in and out of school include:
• Reading Buddies, a program that places caring adult volunteers in Children’s areas to foster
positive interactions with youth. Reading Buddies read with children and assist them with
homework, crafts, games, imaginary play and youth-led activities.
• Embedding developmentally appropriate technology and other interactive media into
our spaces to encourage kids to become the next generation of tinkerers and inventors
while learning through play with educational apps, robots and STEM learning resources.
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Opportunities Realized 2015–2022
• Constructing lively Teenspaces in our neighborhood libraries—welcoming spaces
where teens can hang out, explore their interests and build their own path without
pressure or expectations.
• Systemwide access to programs and resources that encourage creativity, ranging from
art supplies and how-to-tutorials, to specialized equipment allowing teens to create
digital art, music and stop-motion video.
• Increased investments in services that instill a love of reading, including Summer
Reading, Battle of the Books, author visits and the launch of CardFest, an initiative
to ensure that in the coming years all students in Pittsburgh Public Schools have a
library card and awareness of the vast resources it unlocks.
RIGHT
In 2022, City Paper’s
Best of Pittsburgh
Awards recognized
CLP for “Best Literary
Event” for its Battle of
the Books competition
and “Best Hangout
for Teens” for
its Teenspaces.
6

“I started thinking,
‘Where can I volunteer?’
and I immediately
thought of the Library.”
JEREMIAH
Reading Buddy Volunteer,
CLP – West End

PRIORITY: WORKFORCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Realize
Connections,
Skills and
Innovation
Throughout the campaign, your contributions have supported Library investments in job,
career and entrepreneurial innovation to meet changing community and patron needs.
Recognizing that the Library is often the first stop for people seeking work or exploring
new careers, your gifts to Realize: Our Power, Our Potential bolstered CLP’s collections,
provided professional development opportunities for our staff, increased patron access to
high-powered databases, and supported job fairs and special programs tailored for people
interested in skill development, business planning and nonprofit management.
While the Library is still the only place where visitors have free access to computers, the
internet and Wi-Fi, your support has allowed us to offer so much more. Philanthropic
contributions strengthened resources for jobseekers, career changers, small business
owners and entrepreneurs, including the following investments:
• Increased availability of high-demand technological devices ranging from lendable
laptops and hotspots to videoconferencing technology to equipment for scanning
and faxing documents.
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Opportunities Realized 2015–2022
• Flexible meeting spaces for groups and classes (standard in our neighborhood library
capital renovation projects), as well as smaller spaces for personal work—such as
soundproof pods—that facilitate in-person and virtual meetings.
• Expanded 1:1 in-person, phone and virtual appointments allowing patrons to meet
with librarians to navigate small business and nonprofit needs, online job searches,
device assistance and digital literacy. Staff collaborated with partner organizations
to connect customers with jobseeking resources and opportunities, social services
and community resources.
• Access to WorkLaunch seminars and job fairs, a collaboration of CLP and partners
such as the Career Development Center that connects jobseekers to specialized
information and area recruiters.
10

“Everyone has the right
to have access to resources.
It evens the playing field.”
HANNI CORDES
CLP customer and supporter

2015
CLP launches
Realize: Our Power,
Our Potential, a
comprehensive $50M
fundraising campaign
to diversify and expand
funding streams.
Community celebrates
the reopening of CLP -
Beechview after $3.2M
renovation and expansion.
Design of TeenSpace at
CLP - East Liberty receives AIA
of Pennsylvania’s Citation of
Merit award. The project serves
as a model for systemwide
enhancements to teen spaces,
programs and services.
Opportunities
2018 2019 2020
The $4.3M renovation and
expansion of CLP - Carrick
is welcomed by the community.
CLP awarded a RADical ImPAct
grant for RAD Pass, which
connects Allegheny County
cardholders with a vast array
of cultural resources.
CLP adapts services and
creates new models to meet
customer needs during
COVID pandemic.
2021
CLP expands Shared
Services to support
Allegheny County
libraries and patrons.
2022
The entrance of
CLP - Main undergoes
a $2.1M renovation to
create an accessible
entryway while preserving
the building’s iconic
architecture.
12

2016
2017
The Library strengthens
digital literacy and coding
skills into programs, services
and resources for all ages.
After a $3.25M renovation of
CLP – Knoxville, the Library
reopens to the public.
Allegheny County residents
generously respond to the
inaugural Love Your Library
campaign supported by the
Jack Buncher Foundation.
Realized
Because
of You…
2021
A $4M renovation and
expansion of historic
CLP - Mt. Washington
is completed.
A $5.3M renovation
and expansion transforms
CLP – Downtown.
$2.7M is invested in the
renovation of LAMP, a former
Studebaker showroom, reflecting
the needs of its users.
CLP celebrates the
successful conclusion of
Realize: Our Power, Our
Potential campaign, raising
$51.7M from generous
supporters to fund current
priorities and long-term
sustainability.
Together, we can
realize the potential
for individuals, our
Library and our
entire community!
13

PRIORITY: NEIGHBORHOOD VITALITY
Realize
a Culture
of Reading,
Learning
and Civic
Engagement
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Opportunities Realized 2015–2022
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is a community anchor, providing in-person, outreach and
virtual services to people of all ages and backgrounds. Our Library supports a culture of
learning for youth and families, senior citizens, immigrants and jobseekers—everyone can
be part of this culture of learning.
Contributions to Realize: Our Power, Our Potential helped Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
achieve a significant milestone: the completion of the last seven projects in a two-decade
cycle of facility improvements at all 19 public library locations. In all corners of the City of
Pittsburgh, patrons are enjoying attractive, comfortable, energy efficient and accessible
library spaces.
With your contribution, CLP invested in innovative service models to engage new audiences,
technology and equipment that bridge the digital divide, as well as collections that reflect
our diverse community. The following examples illustrate how your support strengthens the
Library’s connection to our communities and our neighbors.
14

• As part of our CivicCLP initiative, the Library featured speakers on topics including
representation in the media, the First Amendment and censorship, and finding
common ground through activism. The Library also provided subject-area experts on
topics such as elder law, estate planning, public benefits, fair housing and services for
formerly incarcerated people.
• Utilizing the in-house recording and production studio at the Library of Accessible
Media for Pennsylvanians (LAMP), volunteers and staff produced digital audiobooks
for the Library of Congress, making otherwise inaccessible titles available to print
disabled patrons throughout the state, nationally and internationally. Recorded titles
included: Smoketown: The Untold Story of the Other Great Black Renaissance by
Mark Whitaker; They Played and Stayed in Pittsburgh: Steelers Forever by Jim O’Brien;
and Steel City Jews: A History of Pittsburgh and Its Jewish Community 1840-1915
by Barbara Stern Burstin.
• The Library created Here to Help collections to highlight books and resources on
current events and community issues, such as immigrant and refugee experiences,
disabilities and inclusion, and health and wellness.
• The launch of the RAD Pass program connects Allegheny County library cardholders
to the region’s vast array of cultural assets, including MCG Jazz, Pittsburgh Symphony
Orchestra, Kelly Strayhorn Theater and Carnegie Museums, among others.
BELOW
After years of engaging
our community in the
planning process,
CLP – Carrick, the first
passive house library in
North America, officially
opened to much
fanfare. The light-filled
library offers double
the capacity for library
resources, a large
community room and
comfortable spaces for
customers of all ages.
15

PRIORITY: SUSTAINABILITY
Realize
The Potential
for Individuals,
Our Library
and Our Entire
Community
In addition to strengthening Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh today, Realize: Our Power, Our
Potential also focused on gifts that will ensure the Library’s sustainability well into the future.
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Opportunities Realized 2015–2022
Since its founding, CLP has been the beneficiary of bequests and gifts for endowment from
people who valued the Library and wanted to ensure that it would remain “Free to the People”
for subsequent generations. This legacy has grown significantly during the Realize: Our
Power, Our Potential campaign, as hundreds of people have let us know that the Library is
included in their will or other planned gift. We are pleased to recognize these generous
advocates in the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Circle.
We’ve also made great strides in growing the Library’s endowment, which will support
innovation and growth for years to come. During the campaign, the Library launched the
POTENTIAL: CLP – Board of Trustees Endowment Match initiative, a tool to encourage
investments by matching new gifts and pledges to the endowment up to $25,000.
A plaque was installed in the lobby of CLP – Main recognizing the individuals and families
who have created perpetual funds to support the Library since our founding in 1895.
16

Realize: Our Power, Our Potential
Sustainability Benchmarks 2015 - 2022
• Membership in the Library Circle grew to 112 individuals, recognizing
contributors to the endowment or a future gift through a will, trust or
by naming CLP as the beneficiary of an IRA, life insurance policy or
financial account.
• CLP received 34 bequests valued at $1.6 million from donors who
cherished the Library.
• The market value of CLP’s endowment grew from $13.9 million to $19.7
million. A percentage of the market value provides support for general
operations, services and programs in perpetuity.
ABOVE
Shirley Page grew up
visiting the East Liberty
library. The retired
Philadelphia
schoolteacher gave
back to the community
she loves by creating
an endowed fund for
children’s services at
CLP - East Liberty.
• 36 families created a permanent library legacy through the creation of
a named endowed fund.
17

“We should never take for
granted that the Library and
its treasures will always be here.
We have to make sure they are.”
BETSY WATKINS
Trustee Emerita,
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees

Thank you for supporting
Realize: Our Power, Our Potential
Together, we are building on the success
of this inspiring campaign as we work to
ensure that our community continues
to have a strong and vibrant library system.
We invite you to contact our staff for more information on
how your gift can make a difference in the Pittsburgh region.
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Office of External & Government Relations
4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-4007
412–622–6276
donors@carnegielibrary.org
Organization type: 501(c)(3) charitable organization
EIN/Federal Tax ID: 25-0965281

carnegielibrary.org