Without these, YOUR library would be a puny shadow of what it is. We have sent out a newsletter and a fund raising letter within the past month. While having them both go out with donation envelopes so close together might be a questionable move, their intent was not. The gap between our revenue sources and our support is wider than we would like. Barring a magician appearing with a bag of gold, there are limited ways to narrow the gap.
Direct appeals are the most effective way.
Unfortunately, many recipients of our appeals assume the other guy will carry the freight and assure that good library services will always be there. We serve four towns but are supported municipally by only two. If everyone assumes that the 'other guy' will come through and give to the library, then we will find ourselves in big trouble. Personally, I hope everyone who either tossed out the envelope or set it aside rethinks that decision. I believe we have one of the friendliest and most responsive environments around.