Dear Friends,

What a night!

Being together again, surrounded by laughter, conversation, and community, felt more meaningful than ever. The newly restored Carolina Theatre offered the perfect backdrop for our 2025 Carnegie Circle donor appreciation event on Tuesday, April 8. There was something really special about gathering in a space with so much history, beauty, and purpose to honor the generosity of our supporters and the impact of the Library – especially as we were right next door to our own new building coming to life.

As we celebrated the growth of Carnegie Circle and the impact your support has made, we were reminded of what makes public libraries so essential: welcoming and free to all, full of opportunity, and staffed by knowledgeable and resourceful people. In fact, our speaker, renowned author Ann Patchett, said that night, “Libraries are the very best part of our government, where you go to feel seen.”

Ann and her friend, New York Times bestselling author and Verse & Vino alum Kevin Wilson made the evening unforgettable. Their conversation was equal parts brilliant, hilarious, and heartwarming. Did you catch their “origin story” a.k.a. how they met? Kevin sat next to Ann at a sparsely attended book reading and luncheon she was doing at Vanderbilt University after the publication of Bel Canto, and they exchanged numbers. A few days later, she found out she had won the PEN/Faulkner Award and was going on a book tour. She gave Kevin a call… to be her dogsitter (for a brief moment he thought she was asking him on a date!) And they have been close friends ever since (she was his best man at his wedding, and he named his daughter Patchett Wilson.)

The moral of the story? Go to that book reading. You never know what might happen.

Only at a Library event do you get to hear stories like that, shared with so much warmth and authenticity. Their insights on storytelling, bookstore entrepreneurship, and, most importantly, friendship left us all wanting more. Thank you for your patience if you waited in author signing line; Ann and Kevin were so generous with their time and connected and chatted with everyone in line.

A special thank you to Amy Strecker for her masterful moderation. Amy, I can’t thank you and Duke Energy enough for helping make this event such a success. Your thoughtful preparation, engaging questions, and natural presence on stage elevated the evening in every way. I’ve lost count of how many people told me how much they appreciated and needed that conversation – and how many said, “She should do this more often!”

To all of our partners including The Foundation For The Carolinas and Office Environments, thank you. Your support made this memorable night possible.

If you aren’t yet a member of Carnegie Circle, we’d love for you to join us. This remarkable group of supporters ensures our Library can continue to grow, innovate, and serve everyone in our community. Click here to join.

With deep gratitude,

Jenni Gaisbauer, CFRE
Executive Director