ANOTHER STORY. This conceptual view shows what the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in Eau Claire might look like with an added third story. (Source: Ayres Associates)

The L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library has received a $750,000 pledge from the Pablo Foundation toward its $7 million Story Builder expansion campaign. The pledge, the largest made toward the campaign to date, brings fundraising up to 77% of the total project cost.

The Story Builder campaign is raising money to expand the library’s physical space to meet the demands of Eau Claire’s growing and evolving population. The City of Eau Claire has also invested $11.5 million to revamp the library’s failing mechanical systems.

“The Pablo Foundation seeks to fund projects that will create the greatest amount of impact for the wider Eau Claire area. This includes the number of lives impacted as well as the longevity of the impact. The library touches so many people’s lives, and it doesn’t really matter who you are.” –MaiVue Xiong, Pablo Foundation executive director

“The Pablo Foundation seeks to fund projects that will create the greatest amount of impact for the wider Eau Claire area,” Pablo Foundation Executive Director MaiVue Xiong said. “This includes the number of lives impacted as well as the longevity of the impact. The library touches so many people’s lives, and it doesn’t really matter who you are.”

Zach Halmstad, a founding member of the Pablo Foundation (and co-founder/former CEO of Jamf), is enthusiastic about what the library’s expansion can do for the community. “The public library has been a part of my family’s life for as long as I can remember,” he said. “From traditional books to expanded online learning, community rooms with modern audiovisual infrastructure, intergenerational learning opportunities, and so much more, I’m excited to see the next evolution of this foundational organization in our community for generations to come.”

The Pablo Foundation has also joined forces with the RCU Foundation and two anonymous donors to challenge the community to match their total gifts of $1.5 million before the end of the year. This effort will ensure that the expansion can be done at the same time as the city’s $11.5 million investment to revamp the library’s mechanical systems and infrastructure.

Learn more about the Story Builder fundraising campaign, including the matching challenge and how to make a pledge, at ecpubliclibrary.info/storybuilder.