Small Library Gets Big Donation
toward New Building
Every library should have a friend like Clarissa Porter.
The Marshall (Wis.) Community Library began a drive last year to raise $1.2 million for a new building. Porter, 87, a lifelong resident of Marshall (pop. 3,400) and a member of the Friends of the Library, became impatient and donated $885,000 to the effort, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported May 19.
“The gift was not a total surprise, but the amount was,” Director Diana Skalitzky told American Libraries. “Miss Porter truly believes in public libraries as a mechanism for lifelong education.” Porter is the granddaughter of one of Marshall’s original settlers; her fortune started with the sale of the family farm about 60 years ago.
The library—currently in 1,800 square feet, with five people sharing two desks—had sought more space for years, and planning finally got started last year. The new building will be 9,000 square feet. “We hope to dig the hole this summer and move in next spring,” Skalitzky said.
Porter is still willing to match gifts of $1,000 and more—but only up to $250,000.
Posted May 28, 2001.
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