Communitygathershere
Help us create spaces that connect, inspire, and belong to everyone.
Eckhart Public Library has been the heart of gathering in our community for 115 years. Our outdoor spaces already hum with life, filled with readers, families, and neighbors. The Community Gathers Here project builds on that energy, enhancing these beloved spaces with seating, shade, and connectivity that make the outdoors even more welcoming and accessible for everyone. The library park is truly an extension of the library itself. This project brings the library’s welcoming spirit into every corner of our park, creating outdoor spaces that reflect the learning, connection, and community found within our walls.
The benches gifted by the Willennar Foundation in 1996 have served generations of readers and neighbors. After more than 30 years of use, this beloved space is ready for its next chapter. The Community Gathers Here project brings thoughtful updates — shaded seating, convenient charging, and tables for gathering — while transforming undergrown areas into purposeful, welcoming places for the community to enjoy.
What We’re Creating
Community Gathers Here will enhance Library Park with thoughtful, durable elements designed for real use:
Shaded Tables
Universal access-style tables seating 4-6, each paired with an umbrella
New Benches
Durable, beautifully crafted seating that blends timeless design with modern materials
Charging Station
Solar powered, safe, convenient power for devices
Natural Playscape
A discovery space where children can explore and learn from their environment
Wayfinding & Signs
A dog waste station to help keep the park clean and welcoming
Pet
Center
Center
A dog waste station to help keep the park clean and welcoming.
A place to learn gather grow
Every day, the library’s outdoor space is alive with activity. Families settle in for storytime under the trees. Students study native plants in the sunshine. Neighbors pause for conversation, lunch breaks, and quiet moments of rest. Children explore, play, and move their learning outdoors. With the updates from the Community Gathers Here project, these moments become even more meaningful. The space will support:
- Small-group meetings for students, tutors, and study partners
- Picnics and family time around shaded, accessible tables
- Writers, readers, and remote workers seeking Wi-Fi access and a beautiful spot to think, work, and create
- Business meetings held in a comfortable, welcoming outdoor setting
- Quiet reading and reflection surrounded by the property’s native plantings
- Easy device charging while using the library’s free outdoor Wi-Fi
- Play and discovery in the natural playscape
YOUR GIFT CREATES SPACE FOR COMMUNITY.
When you support Community Gathers Here, you’re helping shape a welcoming, functional space used by many people every week. A place where friends hang out after school, families picnic after storytime, neighbors connect over conversation, and children explore the world around them. Your gift expands the library’s reach far beyond its walls—strengthening a community space that is already deeply loved and ready to grow. Each contribution becomes part of a lasting legacy of connection, comfort, and care.
A sponsorship can honor or memorialize a loved one in a lasting and beautiful way. Their name becomes part of a space filled with connection, reflection, and moments shared for generations to come.
- Table Sponsor.............................$4,000
- 6' Bench Sponsor........................$3,000
- 4' Bench Sponsor........................$2,500
- 4' Backless Bench Sponsor.........$2,000
- Planter Sponsor...........................$1,000
A plaque will be affixed to the sponsored piece with a special tribute. To sponsor a piece, fill out the sponsorship form and submit with payment to Eckhart Library Foundation at P.O. Box 928, Auburn, IN, 46706. Payment can also be made online using the green GIVE button. These special pieces are limited and will be reserved in the order commitments are received.
Plaque shown is an example only. Final plaque design, materials, and placement are subject to change.
Questions?
Call Valerie at (260)925-2414 ext. 701 or email vsimmons@epl.lib.in.us
