MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 25, 2017
Calgary, AB—The $1 million donation from Britt Simmons and Janet Harvie will support critical programs and services at the Calgary Public Library, which saw more than 6.7 million Calgarians in 2016. To recognize the transformational gift, the Library will name the Simmons-Harvie Community Living Room at the New Central Library in their honour.
“Britt Simmons and Janet Harvie are community leaders who value the critical role the Library plays in our city, and we are delighted to recognize their gift with the naming of the Simmons-Harvie Community Living Room,” says Ellen Humphrey, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Calgary Public Library Foundation.
When the New Central Library opens in fall 2018, the Simmons-Harvie Community Living Room will be a welcoming space where visitors can read, study and socialize while taking in the extraordinary view. The community-minded space will be located on the fourth floor of the building, adjacent to the non-fiction collection.
“A library is a place that maintains its importance through all stages of life—from play groups for new moms, to seniors maintaining an active mind,” says Britt Simmons. “Janet and I believe that libraries are crucial assets for a healthy community. They help foster creativity, curiosity and a life-long love of learning. We are proud to support the New Central Library.”
Britt Simmons and Janet Harvie are Founding Partners of Add In—the Campaign for Calgary’s Library, a bold, audacious vision to take a great library system and transform it into the best in the world. With this gift, the Calgary Public Library Foundation has surpassed $319 million of its $350 million goal.
