Friends of the Modesto Library has announced the success of the Lifelong Legacy campaign to raise funds for the renovation of the Modesto Library. The ambitious $3 million goal was met through the generosity of more than 30 major donors and hundreds of donations from individual library supporters.

“When we embarked on this campaign, we were taking a leap of faith, counting on the fact that others love and value the library as much as we do,” said Denise Nordell, FOML’s immediate past president and campaign chair. “One of our main goals was to be sure every member of the community had an opportunity to be a part of the effort to transform the library into a place of pride for Modesto.”

The library renovation, currently underway, is funded by $18 million from Stanislaus County, state library grants and library reserves. The Lifelong Legacy effort will provide enhancements such as a reimagined early childhood space; comfortable, durable furnishings; tech upgrades for public meeting rooms; quiet reading rooms and more.

The major fundraising effort was led by Lynn Dickerson and Katy Menges, whose team reached out to large donors. “I’m thrilled the campaign to beautify our beloved downtown library hit the goal of $3 million less than two years after we began asking our generous friends to support this project,” said Dickerson, former CEO of the Gallo Center for the Arts. “What a community we live in! So much generosity and willingness to make our community better for everyone.”

Menges commented, “The library is a child’s first adventure, a teenager’s escape, and an adult’s rescue. It is the enduring legacy of a free, advanced democracy and the hope of every generation.”

She continued, “Without free, public libraries, democracies would not thrive or survive. Our imaginations would not fly!”

Eric Benson, whose donation helped the campaign over the finish line, said, “Carol Benson, my wife and friend for over 40 years, devoted her life to teaching reading. She inspired hundreds of children through
her work. Honoring her legacy by continuing this mission is a fitting tribute that will help many more experience the joy of reading.”

The main library is expected to reopen to the public in fall 2026. Donations to the Lifelong Legacy are still being accepted. For more information and a complete list of donors, visit modestolibraryfriends.org/legacy.