Dear Friend,

It rained this year on the night of our gala, but I don’t think the room has ever felt more lit up. Honoring Nicole Zeitzer Johnson and Jessica Melwani, two such bright, shining examples of leadership brought out the best in us. Both of our honorees noted in their remarks that they have vivid memories of our library from when they were little and that they felt empowered from a young age to write the story that would one day return them to Port as the powerful, activated women who have accomplished so much and have so much still to do. I love thinking that this library with all of its thoughtful and growing resources has been providing a warm welcome and also a launching pad for all these years. It’s exciting to think of who might be giving similar speeches many years from now, having sat in our children’s library with a book in their lap and a dream.

It is these deeply felt roots that make Port feel so uniquely grounded, roots that inspired us to develop our Roots Leadership Program that is entering its third year. We continue to look for new ways to develop this hands-on, civic and community leadership program that produces thoughtful, proactive library ambassadors.

We continue to fund and support programs that help everyone in this community grow and thrive: the five Advisory Councils-- Children’s, Art, Music, Health, and Nautical; Homegrown Readers—one-on-one home visits by trained staff to encourage early literacy for low income families; 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, our dynamic Jobs and Career Center, which includes the Job Search Boot Camp that has helped so many Port residents work toward their career dreams. We have also helped fund the state-of-the-art re-imagining of our Maker Space, now called The Lab, where our Roots students will be launching their Leadership podcast this Spring, so stay tuned for that!

The Gilded Age was a funny theme because only a select few reaped the rewards of that era’s prosperity, and yet the great New York Public Library was imagined and aren’t we lucky that we had that model to follow? Port is special because it isn’t about the select few. It is about the many who participate and model participation and kindness to our community and to our emerging leaders. Thank you for giving so generously to our Foundation so that we may all continue to serve our beloved library community. I think I write this every year because it’s true: 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 as we dig deeper, denser roots.

Very truly yours,

Beth Ain, President

November 2025