WLPLF Annual Giving Campaign
This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of the founding of the West Lafayette Public Library Foundation. We’re excited to share that we’ve already raised $10,000 toward our goal of $30,000 to commemorate our 30th year. Help us cross the finish line.
For the past three decades, the Foundation has provided nearly half a million dollars of critical financial support to help the Library grow, adapt, and thrive. Together, we’ve celebrated milestones like the Caretaker’s Cottage opening, record-breaking Summer Reading programs, and thousands of new books, movies, and resources added to the shelves.
But now, we must look ahead. Recent legislative changes will lead to a reduction in library funding and cuts to services and staffing have already started. To protect the future of the Library, we will need increasing support from individuals and families in our community.
Your gift to the Foundation helps the Library:
Maintain current collections of books, music, and movies
Offer programs for children, teens, and adults
Support the professional, friendly library staff
Protect welcoming spaces like the newly renovated building and the Caretaker’s Cottage
In this season of change, your support is more important than ever. Together, we can help safeguard the future of the library and minimize cuts to services.
Mail a check: P.O. Box 2078
West Lafayette, IN 47996
Looking back at the year. . .
30th Anniversary
For the past three decades, the Foundation has provided critical financial support to help the Library grow, adapt, and thrive. To mark this milestone, we celebrated with a birthday party at the Library.
Annual Ice Cream Social
Our Ice Cream Social at the Caretaker’s Cottage featured music on the porch by Bum Ditty Barn Dance Band and Wabash Valley Youth Symphony string quartet.
$30 for 30 Campaign
$30 for 30 is our year-long fundraising campaign to raise $30,000 to ensure our next chapter is even more impactful. When first-time donors participate, their donation is matched, doubling the support for the library!
Community Rewards Program
You can now support the library every time you shop at Pay Less or Kroger at no extra cost to you! Enroll in the Kroger Community Rewards and select WLPLF as your charity of choice. Learn more on our Ways to Give Page.
Learn how tax districts affect funding for the West Lafayette Public Library.
Recent legislative changes will lead to a reduction in library funding.
Who does the WLPL serve?
The West Lafayette Public Library serves all residents of Tippecanoe County.
In the map to the right, library location is marked in blue, and the patrons who have borrowed materials in the past year are shown as red dots.
Libraries are primarily funded by property tax dollars.
But did you know that not all West Lafayette neighborhoods’ property taxes contribute to the West Lafayette Public Library?
West Lafayette Public Library Taxing District:
The West Lafayette Public Library’s taxing district is represented in the map to the right. Residents in green on the map pay property taxes to the library.
That means that the property taxes of approximately 20,000 residents (out of 44,000) of the City of West Lafayette do not provide funding to the West Lafayette Public Library.
Why are the library funding boundaries drawn this way?
The WLPL gets approximately 60% of its budget from residents within its property taxing district.
However, the tax districts are based on 1970 maps. The City has expanded since then, and so has the community it serves. But taxing district lines don’t automatically update with every annexation or neighborhood change. They’re set through formal processes and can lag behind real-world growth.
What this means going forward
Now that you know how the boundaries work, it’s easier to see why budget reductions add one more layer in an already complex funding puzzle. The library team works hard to stretch every dollar, plan, and keep services strong for everyone who relies on the library.
How you can help (no matter where you live)
Stay informed. Share this page so neighbors understand how library funding actually works.
Use your library. Check out materials, attend programs, and spread the word. Usage helps us plan and advocate.
Support directly. Donate to the West Lafayette Public Library Foundation to help keep the library thriving now and in the future.
Your donations make a direct impact on programs and collections including:
Mail a check: P.O. Box 2078
West Lafayette, IN 47996
Join our mission to keep the West Lafayette Public Library thriving
