It all started when…
Dedication of Cary Memorial Library, 1906
In 1898, Maria Hastings Cary presented Lexington with a gift of $1,000. The Town agreed to match this sum if $400 or its equivalent in books could be raised in additional private donations. Lexington residents exceeded the fundraising goal and a new free library was established with an initial collection of 1,200 books.
In 1906, Alice Butler Cary memorialized her mother, Maria Hastings Cary, with a new building inscribed with her name, designed by renowned architect and Lexington resident, Willard Brown.
Library after renovation, done with money raised by the Foundation
In 1999, Cary Library’s Board of Trustees created the Cary Memorial Library Foundation as the official organization for accepting private donations to Cary Library. The Foundation enables every Lexington citizen to be both a stakeholder and a steward of Cary Library. Each of us can ensure that future generations will benefit from our generosity, just as we have benefited from the foresight of the Cary family.
The Foundation’s first act was to raise $4.2 million toward the $15 million Library building renovation completed in 2004. Since 2009, the Foundation has raised $1.5 million to support the Library’s collections, to launch new programs, and to upgrade the Library’s technology and physical environment.
Living Room, part of the 2016 Transformative Spaces renovation funded by the Foundation
In 2016, The Cary Library Foundation raised $750,000 for Transformative Spaces, a construction project resulting in a new Teen Space, more study rooms, atrium gathering area, Idea Wall, Library of Things, enhanced technology, readily accessible Adult Fiction and World Languages Collections, and easier access to library staff.
Today, Cary Library is the sixth busiest library in the state. Its books, magazines, audio, e-books, and other holdings total nearly 300,000 items, with a total annual circulation of over 1 million!