Foundation History

    Chartered in 1998, the Alexandria Library Foundation was formed to enhance the Alexandria Library's services through private donations. In 1999, when asked for $50,000 to meet increased demand for books and electronic information for the new Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Library, the City approved instead a $25,000 challenge grant. The donors to the Foundation met this challenge. We would like to thank everyone for their generous support!
    In 2000, with the opening of the new library, we asked the City to add $50,000 to our operating budget in response to the increased demand for materials and services. The City offered a second challenge grant of $25,000, which required matching funds by the Foundation. The continued generosity of the community is needed for the Alexandria Library to provide the excellence in service and materials our residents deserve.
    During this current economic downturn, we need your support now more than ever.

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Board of Directors

President: Dorothy (Brooksie) Koopman

Vice President: Oscar Fitzgerald
Dr. Fitzgerald earned his Bachelor of Arts (Cum Laude) from Vanderbilt University and Masters and Doctorate in History from Georgetown University. He retired from the Naval Historical Center, where he served first as head of the contemporary history program and then as Director of the Navy Museum, to pursued full time his first love which is the history of furniture and the decorative arts. Currently, he teaches at Marymount University and in the Smithsonian Institution / Corcoran School Masters Program in the History of the Decorative Arts. After completing a James Renwick Research Fellowship in 2004, he published the catalogue of the extensive contemporary studio furniture collection in the Smithsonian Renwick Gallery in 2008. His latest book, New Masters of the Wooden Box, was published in 2009 to accompany an exhibit that is traveling the country for three years.

Treasurer: Anne S. Paul
Anne Smith Paul, a published historian, has served as the president, vice president, and treasurer of the Alexandria Historical Society. She has also been a mainstay of the Daughters of the American Revolution and a member of the Historic Alexandria Resources Commission. She joined the Alexandria Library Board in September, 2005, and became Treasurer in June 2007.

Secretary: Rose T. Dawson
Ms. Dawson, the Director of the Alexandria Library since 2008, served as Deputy Director for two years before becoming Director of Libraries. Dawson earned both her Bachelor of Arts in Education and Master of Library Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Additionally, she completed the program at George Washington University's Center for Excellence in Municipal Management to become a Certified Public Manager. She is an active member of the American Library Association, Public Library Association, Library Administration and Management Association, Association of Library Services to Children, and the Black Caucus of the American Library Association.

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How You Can Help

The Foundation is a tax-exempt, 501(3)(c), private, nonprofit organization. Your tax-deductible contribution to the Alexandria Library Foundation will allow the library to purchase additional copies of books, to provide supplemental dollars for staff development, and to increase access to electronic information resources to meet increasing demand.

If you would like to help, you may choose one of the following options:

Mail your check to:	The Alexandria Library Foundation 5005 Duke Street Alexandria, VA 22304-2903
Telephone:	Contact us by phone at 703-746-1701
Email:	Contact Rose Dawson by email

Print a copy of the Alexandria Library Foundation Contribution Form and mail it with your contribution.

Patrons can also contribute to the Foundation through United Way by directing their donation through a "write-in" feature. For more information on the Foundation or the “write-in” feature for the United Way, please call 703-746-1701.

"I am part of all I have read." - John Kieran

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Naming Opportunities

Each Alexandria Library building offers naming opportunities. This is a rare opportunity to honor a friend or family member or to make a lasting contribution to the Alexandria Library and the community.

The Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Central Library (5005 Duke Street)
Our central library offers several opportunity for donors to endow an area of the building. A brief descriptive list is given below.

Please review the floor plan of the Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Central Library to identify a location of interest. Opportunities are in red. Named areas are in blue.

Meeting Room  ($75,000)   Versatile area seating 150, with data outlets, ceiling mounted projector, and catering kitchen.
Story Room  ($30,000)   Lively space for stories and crafts.
Study Carrels  ($1,000)   Located throughout the Library, these booths are designed for individual study.


The following naming donors have our deepest appreciation  
Alan M. and Nathalie P. Voorhees Reference Area (1999)
William J. Birchler Periodical Room (2005)
Bernice Fedder Sanders Picture Book Area (2008)

The following carrel and bench donors or honorees have our deepest appreciation
Col. And Mrs. George H.C. Berger, Brookville-Seminary Valley Civic Association, Loretia and John Cornette, The Elberfelds, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred E. Forstall, Lori Godwin, Allene Huizenga Goguen, Charles Goguen, Arlene and Mel Hewitt, Gretchen Hopkins, June S. Jordan, Vola Lawson, Alma G. McGroarty, Elizabeth J McKenty (plaque pending), Ruth A. McKenty, Arthur J. Mourot, Peter Muirhead, Anne S. Paul, Gary Post, Jane F. Robinson, Mr. and Mrs. William Francis Smith, Alice and Max Stoner, Marjorie Tallichet, Martha Slason Toulmin (plaque pending), Priestley Toulmin, Geneva M. Thomason, Time-Life Books, Willard and Lois Van Valkenburgh, Betty Rhoads Wright, and Frank Wright.

The Burke Branch Library (4701 Seminary Road)

Meeting Room ($30,000)   Multipurpose area seating 90 with lectern. Each month, 400 people use the Burke Meeting Room.
Computer Room ($30,000)   Glass-enclosed area for public computer use, designed for up to 26 computers.
Study Carrels ($1,000)   Small tables designed for individual study with access to electrical outlets for laptop computers.

The Barrett Branch Library (717 Queen Street)

Study Carrels ($1,000)   Small tables designed for individual study with access to electrical outlets for laptop computers.

The Duncan Branch Library (2501 Commonwealth Avenue)

Meeting Room/Story Room ($20,000)   Multipurpose area seating 50. Each month, 400 people use the Duncan Meeting Room.

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To view the Alexandria Library Foundation's 990 Form and Schedule A, click here.