Local family donates $1.5M to Calgary library
Posted Mar 24, 2018 2:03 pm.
Last Updated Mar 24, 2018 2:23 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It’s a huge contribution for the Calgary Public Library — the Giuffre Family is donating $1.5 million.
“Through this investment, our family is honoured to contribute to a legacy of learning in the community,” said Joe Giuffre.
Saturday’s donation resulted in renaming the Alexander Calhoun Library, named after Calgary’s first librarian, to the Giuffre Family Library.
Giuffre says since their family, which has more than 40 members, moved to Calgary from Toronto in 1955 they developed a love of reading.
“Each of my children had an interest in a different subject. Their use of the Calgary Public Library’s world of information helped them achieve their goals,” he said.
Ellen Humphrey President and CEO of the Calgary Public Library Foundation says even in this digital age, every year thousands of people visit the library located at 3223 14 Street S.W.
“[People are] less dependant on books then [they] used to be, but the growth in the use of digital resources is kind of levelling off, and still represents a relatively small proportion of overall use,” she said.
Stephanie Hawes said she’s been coming to the library for a couple of decades and now she brings her two-year-old son Remy.
“We really like the idea of exposing him to books of course and reading and the libraries are becoming more of a place for people to gather and play,” she said, adding that it’s also fun to meet other kids and parents.
Hawes family enjoying their time at the newly named Giuffre Family Library.
