Cromwell Belden Public Library Fund

BELDEN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION ENDOWS PERMANENT DESIGNATED FUND

Since its founding in 1888, the Belden Library Association was a cornerstone in creating and supporting a public library to benefit the people of Cromwell. To this day, the Library has remained an important hub of the Town of Cromwell, providing a wealth of information, services, and programs for residents of all ages.

For almost 100 years, the Library was housed in the old Academy building on Main Street in Cromwell, but it was clear that new space was needed. In December 1985, the renamed Cromwell Belden Public Library opened in a new facility as a full-fledged town department, no longer reporting to the Belden Library Association board of directors but directly to the town.

While its oversight role may have changed, the Belden Library Association stayed true to its mission over the years by continuing to support and promote the Library in countless ways. The Association donated substantial funds for books, computers, furniture, shelving, new media, and programs over the years. Most recently, it made a major donation to preserve materials in the Library’s History Room for generations to come.

In furtherance of its mission, in 2011 the Belden Library Association established the Cromwell Belden Public Library Fund at the Community Foundation of Middlesex County “for the improvement and betterment of the Cromwell Belden Public Library.”

“The Belden Library Association wanted to ensure that the goals and spirit of giving of the individuals, organizations, and businesses who made donations to support the Library over its 123 years would continue,” stated Margaret Colella, the group’s president and a member of the Cromwell Library Commission. “We are confident that the Community Foundation will carry on the Association’s efforts in supporting the Library far into the future, and we encourage others to donate to the Fund to support the Library as well.”

“The Library serves as a critical resource for the residents of Cromwell. It has established an excellent reputation based on the professionalism and knowledge of its staff, the multiple learning opportunities for all ages, and its innovative approach to program delivery,” explained Martha Rennie, treasurer of the Association and the first chair of the Library Commission. “The Library is attuned to the needs of the community as it continues to grow and change.”

The Community Foundation of Middlesex County is proud of and humbled by the trust the Belden Library Association has for CFMC and its services and looks forward to carrying on the tradition of providing financial and other resources for the improvement and betterment of Cromwell Belden Public Library and the men, women, and children in town it supports.