Friend Memorial Public Library recently named Robert Baird campaign chairperson of its forthcoming capital campaign at its bimonthly meeting on July 25th. Baird, a long-time summer visitor to Brooklin and a full-time resident since 2016, replaces recently deceased chair, Bill Cohen. Baird has been on the campaign fundraising committee since it was established and is passionate about the need to preserve the library for the community it currently serves and for generations to come.
“The fundamental thing I believe in,” says Baird, “is the importance of the library as the center of our community and the need to face urgent needs to protect this valuable resource by addressing critical maintenance issues, upgrading technology, expanding our physical space, and ensuring sufficient financial resources for future growth.”
Baird also views the capital campaign as an opportunity to bring people together. “Our number one goal for this campaign is to preserve our library,” he says, “and to do that we need to bring the community together, openly discuss the challenges we face, and listen to everyone.”
One of the first steps in accomplishing this goal will be to hold a community meeting on Monday, August 14, from 6:30 to 8:30 in the Brooklin Fire Station. “We want to be very clear about the immediate challenges the capital campaign must address,” says Baird, “and we want to involve our community in developing solutions we can all agree on to preserve this important resource for the future.” In addition, a Frequently Asked Questions sheet soon will be available at the library’s circulation desk and on the library’s website.
Baird brings a long career in historic preservation and architecture to his position, completing over 1500 major restorations in the country, most prominently the restoration of the dome of the U.S. Capitol Building. In Brooklin, he managed the restoration of the Odd Fellows Hall for new owners, and designed and managed the construction of the signature classic columns for the front entrance of Friend Memorial Public Library.
