Friends & Foundation of Northfield Public Library

Annual Campaign 2023 

Installation of full shades at Northfield Public Library

Help the Library beat the heat, glare and energy bills!

The installation of full shades in the atrium at Northfield Public Library will bring energy efficiency and comfort to staff and visitors of the library. The proposed installation of adjustable blinds along the top layer of glass windows facing south and east (twelve panels) will cost approximately $26,500. Our goal is to raise $17,000 or more through Give to the Max and our Annual Fund Drive go towards the shades! Sunlight in the mornings through mid-afternoon can render parts of the library atrium too bright to use comfortably and during the spring through fall, the sunlight also adds heat to the building (especially in the atrium and second floor), reducing the energy efficiency of the design, placing unnecessary strain on the building's HVAC, and adding substantially to the library's energy costs.

This project seeks to fund the purchase and installation of blinds for the upper course of twelve windows in the atrium of the Northfield Public Library. Because of the height of the windows, these blinds, unlike those on the lower course of windows, will need to be remote-controlled. With the installation of these blinds, Library staff will gain the capacity to control sunlight into the Atrium, allowing staff both to eliminate glare in these central public spaces throughout the year and, more importantly, to reduce dramatically the heat effects of the sunlight during Spring, Summer, and Fall. As a consequence, the load on the Library's HVAC will be substantially reduced, the energy costs of the facility will be significantly reduced, and the Library will become a more environmentally sustainable city facility. Win, Win, Win!

The installation of full shades in the atrium at Northfield Public Library will bring energy efficiency and comfort to staff and visitors of the library. The proposed installation of adjustable blinds along the top layer of glass windows facing south and east (twelve panels) will cost approximately $26,500. Our goal is to raise $17,000 or more through Give to the Max and our Annual Fund Drive towards these blinds!

Sunlight in the mornings through mid-afternoon can render parts of the library atrium too bright to use comfortably and during the spring through fall, the sunlight also adds heat to the building (especially in the atrium and second floor), reducing the energy efficiency of the design, placing unnecessary strain on the building's HVAC, and adding substantially to the library's energy costs. 

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Sometimes called the community's living room, the Northfield Public Library is a special place where all Northfielders can gather to expand their horizons, to support their interests, and to discuss, debate, experiment, and create. 

A critical part of the Library's mission is to support early childhood literacy through programs and opportunities designed for children and parents from babyhood through high school.  

For adults of all ages, the Library offers opportunities to continue learning with its print and digital collections, speaker series, and other programming as well as free access to computer resources that are so essential for work and recreation. 

The Friends are committed to supporting this mission through robust financial and volunteer support for ongoing programming and capital needs. We are particularly excited to collaborate with the Library in using the expanded Library, the Bookmobile, and now the Oasis project to make library services available to more Northfielders than ever. 

Since 1982, the Friends have been helping our library to be the best possible community resource for early literacy and all aspects of lifelong learning and to realize its mission to provide equal access to the world of information for all Northfielders. We are proud to celebrate our 40% Anniversary in 2022.

We are a registered 501 (c) 3 non-profit, and all donations are fully tax deductible to the full extent of the law.