300 W. Merrill St. Birmingham, MI 48009 | (248) 647-1700

Memorial & Naming Rights

Over the decades, donations have played a crucial part in making our library what it is today. You can join that rich legacy with your own gift to honor a loved one…mark a birthday or other special occasion…or simply on behalf of your family.

Contributions from the community go toward enriching Library programming and materials, and enable us to create new experiences for our patrons. Plus, they’re tax-deductible. Click below to donate now.

Donate

If you’d prefer to mail your donation, download a form below or pick one up in the Library and mail it to:

Baldwin Public Library Trust

300 West Merrill Street

Birmingham, MI 48009

Donation Form

Location - View Map

300 W. Merrill St.
Birmingham, MI 48009

Library Hours

Monday–Thursday: 9:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Friday & Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Sunday: 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Upcoming Closures

Sunday, March 31

 

Opportunities for Naming
Financial Donation: A designated space shall be named in accordance with the sponsor’s wishes, pending approval from the Director. Proposals for naming facilities should be submitted to the Library Director and should contain specific information in support thereof, including any guidelines on how the donated funds are to be used to support the named space. If endorsed by the Library Director, the proposal shall be forwarded to the Baldwin Public Library Trust Board for approval.

Distinguished Effort: The naming of a space may honor or memorialize an individual who has achieved exceptional distinction in librarianship and/or other areas of knowledge management or who has served Baldwin in a professional capacity and has earned a state or national reputation for preeminent achievements in librarianship while employed by Baldwin. The credentials, character, and reputation of each individual shall be appropriately reviewed as part of the nomination process. A proposal for naming a space in honor of a member of the community shall also be considered when that person has given distinguished service to the Library that merits recognition in the Library’s history.

Deferred Gifts with Naming Rights: Deferred gifts are those gifts that are committed for Library use in the present, but received by the Library in the future. There may be many forms of such gifts. Deferred gift assets become available for investment by the Library when a donor transfers cash or assets to the Baldwin Public Library and obtains, in exchange, a life income based on the value of donated assets. The forms in which gifts may currently be established include, but are not limited to: charitable gift annuity (no trust); charitable remainder unitrust; charitable remainder annuity trust; pooled income fund (pooled trust); and charitable lead trust.

Each deferred gift plan shall have a mutually signed agreement that specifies the type of plan, amount of the income payments, and the purpose and use of the deferred gift.

People interested in developing this type of gift are encouraged to contact the Library Director to discuss their options. All plans for Deferred Gifts shall contain a written statement of intent with full details of the gift. The Library Director shall submit a recommendation to the Baldwin Public Library Trust Board for final acceptance.

Once a deferred gift has received formal acceptance by the Baldwin Public Library Trust Board, the gift shall be considered as irrevocable.

General Guidelines
The Baldwin Public library shall use the following guidelines to make decisions on the merits of each naming opportunity:

  • Negotiations for the naming rights for a particular space may be initiated by the Library Director, a benefactor, or other interested parties.
  • In the event that the flow of funds agreed to constitute a naming opportunity ceases before the agreed time, the Library Director may recommend to the Baldwin Public Library Trust Board that the use of the benefactor’s name for the space be discontinued.
  • When a major building project is to be undertaken, a tailored naming policy may be proposed. Such a policy shall require the endorsement of the Library Director for recommendation to the Baldwin Public Library Trust Board.
  • If an individual or organization, after which a space has been named, comes into disrepute at the Library or in the community at large, the Library Director may recommend to the Baldwin Public Library Trust Board that the use of the name be discontinued.
  • The Library Director shall submit all requests for naming rights to the Baldwin Public Library Trust Board in writing. The request shall contain a recommendation based on the criteria and objectives outlined in this policy. The Baldwin Public Library Trust Board shall review and research each submitted naming nomination on its individual merits.
  • All contract documents must be finalized before the Library issues final approval for a naming opportunity and declares the officially recognized name of the space.
  • Publicity for the proposed naming of the space may not occur until the recommendation for naming is submitted to the Baldwin Public Library Trust Board for approval. 8. Naming rights shall remain in place for a period of at least twenty-five (25) years, although a plaque shall remain in the location in perpetuity, acknowledging the name and the donation. In the event the space is significantly altered in a timeframe less than 75% of the agreed upon time when the gift was made, the Baldwin Public Library Trust Board shall roll the name forward in a similar capacity.
Gift Recognition Replacement-Special Considerations:
A request to rename, add a second name, or remove a name from a space shall conform to the following principles:

Any request to rename, add, or remove a name from a space within the Baldwin Public Library should include documentation pertaining to the original approval and subsequent name change proposal. In the event that donor names must be removed for new construction, or in the event the Library is destroyed by natural disaster and is rebuilt to be used for its original purpose, recognition shall be replaced per the original agreement.

In the event a building is drastically altered through construction, the Baldwin Public Library Trust Board shall reserve the right to add or alter gift recognition, including the name of the space. Any donor plaques displaced as a result of this shall be rededicated in an alternative location in accordance with the timeframe developed for the original gift.
When a named space has reached the end of its useful life and shall be replaced or substantially renovated, the replaced or renovated space may be renamed in recognition of a new donor or honoree. Appropriate recognition of earlier donors or honorees shall be included in or adjacent to new, renovated or redeveloped spaces.

Dedication Ceremony and Plaque:
Upon approval of the naming by the Baldwin Public Library Trust Board, an appropriate dedication ceremony may be planned and conducted. The donor and the donor’s guests, the Baldwin Public Library Trust Board, and the Executive Board of the Friends of the Baldwin Public Library shall be notified at an early date to ensure attendance and participation. A dedication plaque or comparable marking may be erected at the ceremony. All building plaques must conform to the signage that has been selected for the area in size, design, location, materials, and content.

 

Parking

Free Two-Hour Parking in Chester Street Deck

Metered street parking around Library

Free Parking on Sundays

248-647-1700

300 W. Merrill St.
Birmingham, MI 48009

Library Hours:

Monday – Thursday: 9:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Friday & Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Sunday: 12:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Upcoming Closures:

March 31: Closed

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