Sisters' Big Donation Will Fund Much-Needed Upgrade for Library

A gift from the estate of two Rochester Hills sisters will help the Rochester Hills Public Library perform a much-needed upgrade this year.

The library will be re-carpeted and some furniture will be re-upholstered thanks to a $204,818 gift from the estate of Mary and Lenore Cavanagh. The gift was received last week, according to Library Director Christine Hage.

Mary died in December. Lenore died in 2011 at the age of 96.

Hage said the carpet will be replaced as early as this summer. On both floors of the library, there is evidence of the carpet wearing thin; in the circulation room behind the front desk, carpeting has been torn up and used to replace worn areas in the more public areas of the library.

“With over 2,000 visitors a day for over 20 years, the library’s floors and furniture really take a beating,” Hage said.

Library gifts

Mary Cavanagh died in December. Lenore Cavanagh died in 2011 at the age of 96.

"The Cavanagh sisters valued the service the library offers the community and wanted to make a major contribution to the work of the library,” said Library Board President Robert Bonam.

Last year, a $100,000 gift from the Charles and Doris Edie estate helped purchase the early literacy bookmobile — known as "Big Blue" — for the library.

In 2005, the Alice Horter estate gave the library $216,000, which was used to purchase a new computer system for checking out books. 

“Over the years the Rochester Hills Public Library has received significant gifts at crucial times of need," Hage said.

“People chuckle when I say the library provides ‘womb to tomb’ service to the residents of Rochester, Rochester Hills and Oakland Township, but it is true,” she said.

The library services 100,485 residents in the three communities; 87 percent of the library’s revenue comes from property taxes. Here's information on how you can contribute.