Wright Library receives $250,000 grant

Wright Memorial Public Library has been awarded a $250,000 grant from The Jack W. and Sally D. Eichelberger Foundation of The Dayton Foundation.

The grant will allow the Library to

  • restore its historic reading rooms and foyer;
  • relocate and integrate its circulation and research desks for better customer service;
  • create a small conference room and study area. 

 

“We are very grateful to the Eichelberger Foundation for this generous gift, which will give us the opportunity to implement some much needed improvements and updates to this beautiful building,” said Wright Library Director Kristi Hale.​


​Restored historic reading rooms and centralized information desk
Wright Library’s building is a registered historic landmark with Tudor architecture, vaulted ceilings, Globe Wernicke book shelves, and stained glass windows.
Improvements to the historic front reading rooms and foyer will include:

  • new light fixtures appropriate to the architecture;
  • refinished original furnishings and woodwork;
  • supplemental furnishings;
  • convenient power access; and
  • new carpet.

 


​In addition, a customized central information desk will be designed to improve functionality and customer service.

Additional study and meeting space
The Eichelberger Foundation grant will also be used to create a small conference room on the main floor, equipped with technology for collaborative projects and group study. Additional study tables and chairs will be located outside the new conference room.
 
“Over the past few years, we conducted extensive research to discover the priorities of Oakwood residents for Wright Library. We learned that they have a very high regard for Wright Library as an important Oakwood institution, and they want to see its historic beauty preserved and its functionality and accessibility improved. While there are many major renovations that we cannot afford to implement right now, this gift will allow us to restore and update the historic parts of the building in a way that will make Oakwood residents very proud,” Hale said.
 
Jack Eichelberger was a graduate of Oakwood High School, a local attorney and a lifelong resident of Oakwood. Sally, his Irish-born wife, worked with Jack for many years in his law office and was a devoted member of the Dayton Women’s Club. The couple lived on Runnymede Lane abutting the Dayton Country Club golf course in a home originally built by the Talbott family. 

“Jack had a real affection for his hometown,” said Library Trustee Lu Ann Stanley. ”The Eichelberger Foundation Trustees have been looking for a number of years for a suitable opportunity to enhance the Oakwood community in Jack and Sally’s memory. This generous grant will allow us to preserve the historic areas, improve the Library’s functionality, and provide additional meeting and study space for our patrons. We are incredibly grateful to the Eichelberger Foundation Trustees.” 

The project is slated to begin in late 2017. The Library’s Board of Trustees selected local architectural firm LWC, Inc. after reviewing several competitive bids.

“Over the past few years, we conducted extensive research to discover the priorities of Oakwood residents for Wright Library. We learned that they have a very high regard for Wright Library as an important Oakwood institution, and they want to see its historic beauty preserved and its functionality and accessibility improved.”

- Kristi Hale, Wright Library Director

 

 


view of North Reading Room


dayton foundation logoDonate to Wright Library at the Dayton Foundation online here. All gifts to support the Wright Library Foundation are fully tax deductible as allowed by law. Donations of any amount help support the mission of the library and are very appreciated. 

 

 


you wont believe who i saw at the library - door logoVisit the Wright Memorial Public Library Foundation webpage here.

 
 

Library door logoFollow the Library on Facebook and Instagram for project and construction updates and photos. Sign up for our email newsletter for all Library news and updates. 


 

 

About The Jack W. and Sally D. Eichelberger Foundation 

The Jack W. and Sally D. Eichelberger Foundation, established in 2008 through The Dayton Foundation, has provided invaluable support to many nonprofit organizations like the United Way and other organizations that work for the betterment of Greater Dayton. Longtime Oakwood residents Jack W. Eichelberger, a prominent Dayton attorney and real estate entrepreneur, and Irish-born Sally D. Eichelberger, a devoted member of the Dayton Women's Club, were legendary for their "common touch." It was a quality they both possessed and long will be remembered by the members of the legal profession and their many friends. They enjoyed each other's company and, in equal measure, the company of Dayton Bar Association members, local law enforcement personnel and the people of Dayton and Oakwood. Together, Jack Eichelberger, who passed away in 2001, and Sally Eichelberger, who passed away in 2006, left The Dayton Foundation a multi-million-dollar gift from their combined estates. More than $3 million has been awarded to date to benefit the community the Eichelbergers so loved during their lifetimes.



About The Dayton Foundation
The Dayton Foundation is the regional community foundation for Greater Dayton. Since its establishment in 1921, the Foundation has helped people to help others, managing more than 3,500 charitable funds that have provided over $864 million in grants to nonprofits locally and nationwide. Ranked among the top 5 percent of all community foundations in the nation for total assets, The Dayton Foundation is second among them in the number of charitable funds and third in the number of grants awarded. More information about The Dayton Foundation is available at www.daytonfoundation.org or follow the Foundation on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.