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Dear Friend,

Or should I say, “cher ami”? This October the Port Washington Library Foundation brought a touch of Paris to Port Washington with “PWLF in Paris”, our annual gala celebrating the library and the community that makes its work possible. We were delighted to honor author and essayist, Kelly McMasters - who is also a creative writing professor at Hofstra; and Mara Silverstein and Kathleen Schechter, the owners of Port Washington’s newest bookstore, Book RePort. Thanks to the extraordinary generosity of our supporters, PWLF in Paris was the Foundation’s most successful in-person gala to date, raising approximately $130,000 for the library! This remarkable achievement reflects our community’s enduring commitment to a vibrant library that enriches lives, inspires curiosity, and brings people together.

We continue to fund and support programs that help everyone in this community grow and thrive: the five Advisory Councils- Art, Children’s Programming, Health, Music, and Nautical Programming; Homegrown Readers - a program in which trained library staff visit under-resourced families to encourage early literacy in preschool-aged children; Books for Dessert and Theater for Dessert, which are the book and theater clubs that provide a creative place to improve social and literacy skills for adults with intellectual disabilities; and, of course, the Roots Leadership Program. The Roots program, which is entering its fourth year, teaches civic leadership skills to local teens with guidance from community leaders such as library champion, Councilwoman Mariann Dalimonte. We continue to look for new ways to develop this hands-on program that produces thoughtful, proactive library ambassadors.

And this winter, thanks to a generous gift to the Foundation from Jessica and Jon Smolin, the library will be able to memorialize one of its youngest and most devoted patrons, Mia Smolin, who loved books and loved playing with the interactive wall in the Children’s room. With this gift, a corner of the play area, “Mia’s Corner”, will receive a beautiful mural in Mia’s honor designed by beloved local artist, Michelle Shain. 

Thank you for giving so generously to our Foundation so that we may all continue to serve our beloved community. The resources we help provide in our role at the Foundation are what keep hearts and minds open. But it is your ongoing support that keeps our doors wide open to the hustle and bustle of this busy, beautiful place.

We invite you to contribute and collaborate with us again this year. Please use the enclosed envelope or visit www.pwlfoundation.com to continue to support us in funding the future of the library.

Very truly yours,

Samantha P. Adler, Board President

November 2026