CHARITY
CHECK IT OUT
NEWPORT BEACH PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION , WHICH HELPS TO SUPPORT THE CITY LIBRARY AND PRESENTS LECTURES AND OTHER PROGRAMMING , IS FUNDRAISING TO BUILD A NEW AUDITORIUM .
BY SHARON STELLO
Upon entering Newport Beach ’ s Central Library , look to the left . The wall is covered with the names of hundreds of people who wanted a major library in this city and made a donation to support that goal .
“ You will also see names of donors at all three neighborhood branches — folks from the community that believe in libraries and will support that belief with a contribution ,” says Jerold Kappel , CEO of the Newport Beach Public Library Foundation .
Guiding much of that giving , the foundation raised $ 2.2 million to help construct the city ’ s current Central Library . It has also paid for capital improvements ; purchased computers , books , DVDs and other materials to help stock the facility and presented engaging lectures , providing vast support for this local community center . Indeed , foundation support helps to make this a standout resource for the public .
“ Visiting authors and speakers that we present are always awed by this library and the intellectual curiosity of the audience ,” Kappel says . “ This library , not just the Central Library but its three branches — Balboa , Corona del Mar and Mariners — are hubs of activity . There are over 120,000 active borrowers and , annually , over 500,000 library visits and over 850,000 virtual visits [ via ] the eBranch .
“ Libraries are critical to the intellectual , cultural and civic life of communities . People demand libraries because of that . Whether it is young people — come to storytime sometime and see the scores of little people — students of all ages , adults and seniors , they come to the library to be enriched , to study [ and ] to find out about the world .”
After the Newport Beach Public Library ’ s new Central Library opened in 1994 , the foundation started an endowment the following year . This fund has grown to over $ 2.6 million , allowing for the addition of media and sound labs , self-checkout machines , new furniture for the children ’ s area , eBranch materials , GoPro and digital cameras , equipment ( including a media converter , drum machine , recording bundle , USB turntable synthesizers and even video gaming consoles ), laptops for patron use in the library and much more .
The foundation also presents five programs : the Witte Lecture series , Library Live author talks , Medicine in Our Backyard lectures by UC Irvine doctors on various health topics , financial literacy workshops and a book discussion group . The last three programs are free to the public .
In May , the foundation launched a new series , Spotlight on Science . The first talk was by James Bullock , dean of the School of Physical Sciences and a professor of physics and astronomy at UC Irvine , who gave a lecture titled “ Mysteries of the Universe : From the James Webb Space Telescope ” to a soldout crowd . Three programs in this series will be scheduled for next season .
In addition to continuing these programs and providing financial support for the library , the foundation has embarked on a new , communitywide effort to build Witte Hall . This 299-seat auditorium will feature tiered seating levels and state-of-the-art lighting , audio and video technology as well as assistive listening capabilities and a 9- by 16-foot video wall that can be used for lecture presentations and film screenings . The foundation seeks to raise 50 % of the funds needed for the hall ’ s construction . Thanks to contributions including a lead gift from William Witte and Keiko Sakamoto , the foundation reached its initial goal , but construction bids came in above estimates so fundraising continues . There are still three naming opportunities remaining : the auditorium , the A / V stage manager ’ s booth and the Green Room .
Kappel , who grew up visiting a branch of the Chicago Public Library , understands the value of these repositories of knowledge . “[ It ] was a haven where I could roam the stacks and discover a world far beyond my neighborhood ,” he says .
As he points out , “ libraries are for the public : free , welcoming , nonpartisan , nonsectarian , civic institutions that are so important for the life of a community .” And it takes a community to build and maintain a library . Volunteer opportunities abound and foundation memberships are available for as little as $ 50 . For more information , visit nbplf . foundation . NBM
From left : James Bullock ’ s sold-out Spotlight on Science talk , titled “ Mysteries of the Universe : From the James Webb Space Telescope ”; a rendering of the forthcoming Witte Hall
36 NEWPORTBEACHMAGAZINE . COM