[Libs-Or] Compilation of responses regarding Library donor plaque or recognition

[Esther Moberg]

Thank you to everyone who responded to my request regarding library donor plaques or recognition. I’ve put together a compilation of the responses (see below)
Thanks, this was most helpful!
 
Esther Moberg
Director, Seaside Public Library
Seaside, Oregon
emoberg at cityofseaside.us
503-738-6742
www.seasidelibrary.org
www.facebook.com/seasidepubliclibrary
 
My original request: Hello Library land folks, I am researching what other libraries out there typically do for recognizing large donations to the library. This is not for capital campaign funds but just general gifts to the library, especially monetary gifts over $1,000. Do you have a plaque you add names to or do you just send a thank you note and that is it? We have shelving and furniture in the library that we can put small plaques on with people’s names but we will be receiving a larger donation and wanted to research what is popular in other libraries for commemorating this type of donation. One suggestion was made of a wall plaque similar to what hospitals have with donors names added over time.
Thank you,
 
Esther Moberg
 
Responses:
 
We have wrestled with this problem over the years.   We had a large walnut plaque for “Life Members”-those whose cumulative donations exceeded $1,000. As donors hit that threshold, we engraved their name on a brass plate and added it to the plaque.   When that plaque filled up we begin a new plaque that listed large donations by category  each year.   Getting plaques engraved and changed each year turned into a hassle and we now use a framed poster with top donor names by category.    Our categories are $1000, $500, $250  and then new life members. This isn’t really working too well since we don’t have a good cumulative public list of Life Members, so we think we may get a book that we can add pages as our life members increase.   Having a lot of donors is a good problem to have.  Most aren’t too concerned about this public recognition, but some request anonymity.  Having donor names in a visible spot is good marketing for other potential donors.
 
My recommendation is that you have a sufficiently high level before you recognize a donor in this way.  Years ago, the $1,000 Life member category sounded like a lot of money, but with inflation, it is an easier target for many donors to hit.   I’ve seen these donor walls in hospitals go on and on down the hall.
 
 
Hi Esther, 
 
We have name plates on anything from tables to CD racks to rooms - we've even named an entire building after someone.  
 
In the past, we have also done a large size picture frame with "Jefferson County Library Donors 2010" and just listed everyone from the $5 donor to the $500 donor in alphabetical order.  
 
Hope this helps, DeRese


Hi Esther, 
 
Congrats on your anticipated gift! Tualatin has a donor board that we installed in 2009. It’s a very basic wood plaque, built by a local woodworker.  It has wood slats that I send to the woodworker for engraving. 
 
Personally, I wish we had pursued something more artistic but it’s fine for what it is. The one good thing that we did is to make the board for ANY donation to the library over $1000, including friends or foundation. So it’s an all-purpose board. 
 
Let me know if you want to see photos or other details!
-abigail
 
When we built our new library building we used “Naming Rights” instead of “Buy a Brick”.  Lots of people got name plates on single shelves for $100; one guy got to name the mezzanine for $100K.  We still have a few “nameless” spaces available to recognize future big donors.  If you have an office or study room which has no name, you could place a plaque on it for a large donor.
 
You might establish “giving levels” and have a large plaque with several levels indicated and individual name plates for donors in that category, e.g., $1,000 - $4,999, $5,000 - $9,999, $10,000 - $24,999, etc.  There could be a level named for your first library director, one named for Andrew Carnegie, one for the founder of your city, etc.
 
The Stayton Public Library Foundation has several recognition pieces. There are donor walls with wood name panels, divided by level of donation into categories of  "Author societies" such as william shakespeare, etc. They also have wooden "book spines" that are in wood shelves on the ends of stacks with the donors name. These are made by a local woodworker, and the names are brass. They also recognize donors on the bi-annual newsletter, and on a scrolling display screen posted in the library
 
They also have framed photos of 2 major donors with a commemorative plaque beneath. These are  in  rooms named for them.
 
 
Hi Esther,
I am not the Community Relations person (that is why I am writing off list) , but here are a few notes on the subject.
 
I know we always do a press release and try to get it on the evening news on as many stations as possible and in all of the newspapers.
 
Here is a formal list on the Foundation website.
http://eplfoundation.org/get-involved/naming/
 
http://eplfoundation.org/get-involved/name-a-shelf/
 
 
We have nice wooden donor boards that you can put paper in.  We annually update our donor list and print it out on parchment-type paper.  It looks really nice and is super easy to keep up to date.    No worries about engraving someone’s name wrong, leaving someone off, etc etc
We have a few large pieces of equipment, art, etc that have plaques from the Foundation on them.   Not so much on individual pieces of furniture.
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