The Library Foundation of Hancock County

The Library Foundation of Hancock County, Inc. incorporated in 1995 is a not-for-profit tax-exempt 501 (c) (3) organization that seeks private funding to provide the Margin of Excellence funds for the Hancock County Library System. The Foundation exists to benefit, support, and enhance programming, services, and facilities at the Hancock County Library System.

MISSION

The mission of The Library Foundation is to strengthen the Hancock County Library System’s value to the community, to fund special projects and endowments, and to inspire community interest and involvement.

VISION

We strive to build public and private initiatives that provide opportunities to enrich lifelong learning throughout the community.

Library Foundation Board Members

  • Dr. Sherry Ponder, President

  • Sally Isaacs, Vice President

    I’ve always loved walking into libraries, whether large public libraries in metropolitan cities or personal libraries in a friend’s home. Books offer the opportunity to travel to times and places different from my own, knowledge and skill building, and entertainment. Today’s libraries provide resources far beyond books to educate our citizens, create more successful communities and therefore, greater opportunities for all our citizens.

  • Basil Kennedy, Treasurer

    Having served as treasurer and board member for about 10 years has given me insight into the generosity of the public and the special place called The Hancock Library where you would be surprised with the offerings to it's patrons. I value my time spent serving our community. An educated community with a great library will prosper!!

  • Raven Wallace, Executive Secretary

  • Joe Pettigrew

  • Amy Corr, Funding Committee

    I grew up going to the Hancock County Library. As a very young child, my mother would take me to story hour when the library was located at the corner of Ulman Ave. and Dunbar Ave. The staff all knew my name and I knew theirs. Our library system has a special place in my heart and I’m honored to be able to serve on this Library Foundation board!

  • Marilyn Finch

    Growing up in Pearlington, my sisters and I anxiously awaited for the Bookmobile to come. It was usually once a week in the summer and we were always excited to participate in the summer reading programs. From an early age I had a love of reading and each book was an adventure--that still holds true today!! Our current-day library selections and offerings are vast, ever changing with new and innovative ways to provide the most information for all age groups. It is an absolute honor to serve on the Library Foundation Board.

  • Dolly Lundberg

  • Deana Sheffield

    After serving 28 years as a classroom teacher and currently as a local Realtor®, I understand the need for additional educational resources and programs in local communities. I am excited to serve along with the rest of our dedicated board members to help support our library system in their efforts to promote lifelong learning throughout all of Hancock County.

  • Julie Smith

  • Clarence Harris

    I’m excited to be part of the Library Foundation, to be part of doing good for the community. The library is doing important work in the community to bridge gaps, especially for youth and teens. Every day I’m telling people about the library and what’s available at the library.

  • Rev. Dr. Larry Hilliard

    I can't remember a time when going to the public library wasn’t a party of my life. As a child my mother would take me weekly. As an adult, when I have moved to a new town one of the 1st things I do is get my library card. I believe the public library system is the best thing we do together as a community.

  • Kelli Billups

  • Mary Kay Wicks

    Books were an integral part of my childhood with us regularly visiting libraries or bookmobiles. When our family moved to the Bay in 1964, we were frequent visitors to the Hancock County Library on Court Street. My dad served on the Library Board in the 1970s and my mother read for Children’s Story Hour. I often filled in for her. Once I had children, we visited the library on a regular basis. The Hancock County Library has always been near and dear to me. Now that my retirement is close, I knew I needed to find a way to give back to the community but wasn’t sure how. When I received the invitation to the Hancock Library Foundation, I was delighted. I’m looking forward to working with this board.

  • Nikki Moon

    I am honored to be once again on the Board of the Library Foundation. Our libraries are the core of the communities they serve. They provide a place for education, for access to equipment, for networking, and for creating opportunities for people of all ages. The Board of the Foundation has an important job to do, to build funds so that our library system can continue to grow and provide what is needed in each of our towns.

  • Mary Perkins, Emeritus

    Mary Perkins worked for Hancock County Library system for 25 years, retiring in 2018 as the Public Affairs and Development Officer. Mary has tirelessly advocated for the Library, serving as the Executive Secretary for many years. She continues to be a source of information about the history and contributions of the Library in the community.

Our Current Initiatives

  • The Holiday Tree Gala has been held annually for over twenty years. Each year local businesses and organizations decorate a tree to display at the library. In 2021, trees were located in all five library branches, with trees from over one hundred participants. This yearly event brings the community together to celebrate our community and admire the creativity on display.

  • This fun event celebrates pop culture and fandoms for comics, television, movies, and more. HCLS Comic Con was first held in 2015 and was re-envisioned for the sixth annual event in 2023 after a brief pause. We hope to see it grow in conjunction with the variety of community conventions and groups represented on the Gulf Coast. Grab a costume and bring the whole family to this all-ages event!

  • We are proud to continue supporting the HCLS Summer Library Program as a means to engage in learning opportunities, encourage reading, and reduce summer slide. This ongoing program features themes from the non-profit Collaborative Summer Library Program, presenters, reading challenges, and activities for youth and adults. The Summer Library Program is funded by the Mary Perkins Summer Library Program Fund.

  • The jobs of the future are technology-based, but the digital divide is a real issue for residents of Hancock County. The library is the ideal location to provide access to existing and new technologies to meet the community’s needs. From printing and scanning, accessing the internet on wi-fi or mobile hot-spots, or learning cutting-edge technologies like 3D printing—we are supporting HCLS’s initiatives to provide access.

  • 2024 marked the second annual gathering of HOMEGROWN: A Writers’ Exchange, a literary arts event. HOMEGROWN features southern authors speaking on their books and other topics that focus on opportunities for growth & development of both the reading & writing community of the Gulf Coast.

  • Glowforge laser engravers are an exciting maker tool for cutting and engraving a variety of materials.

  • Local author Jesmyn Ward kicked off the inaugural Homegrown Literary and Arts Exchange as special guest and keynote speaker.

  • 3D printing is a growing technology transforming manufacturing and the sciences.

  • HCLS Comic Con—now HCLS FAN★FEST—connects fans of comics, television and film, gaming, and pop culture.

  • The TOYBOX 3D printer is an accessible maker technology for younger generations.

  • The Canon plotter—or large format printer—makes printing posters and banners accessible for patrons and supports library services.

  • Library book-drops were replaced at all branches in 2021.

  • The Holiday Tree Gala is a popular event, bringing the community together to decorate and judge sponsored trees.

Our Past Initiatives

  • AWE Learning software for early literacy and learning have given young children access to educational games at all branches. The library is continuing to provide this early access to technology and learning.

  • Keeping our library facilities fresh and updated improves the experience of library users. In 2021, the Library Foundation replaced all the outside book drops.

  • Popular media goes beyond books! The library provides video gaming consoles at Pearlington Library, with the goal of expanding to other branches. Providing game subscriptions gives teens an opportunity to play the latest, popular video games at the library.

  • The library is the perfect place to learn about new technologies and access equipment that is out-of-reach for most. Makers equipment, like 3D printers, large format plotters, and laser engravers give the community shared access to equipment to build businesses, get creative, or just try something new.

  • In the Fall of 2019, the library co-sponsored an exciting new event we hope to continue in the future. The Homegrown Literary & Arts Exchange gave local writers and creators a space for sharing and growth. The inaugural Homegrown event showcased the acclaimed author Jesmyn Ward, a native of Delisle, MS, MacArthur Fellow, and two-time National Book Award for Fiction.

Give A Lasting Gift

  • The Foundation Tree

    The Foundation Tree offers a unique annual opportunity to individuals, families, businesses, and organizations to honor or memorialize someone. Names are inscribed on brass leaves that are placed on the bronze, brass, and Plexiglas sculptured tree designed as a symbol of the importance of library advocacy.

    A Tree of Remembrance

    Your generous annual support of $30 per leaf helps the Library Foundation provide the Margin of Excellence for the programs and services of the Hancock County Library System.

  • Planned Giving

    A charitable gift allows you to leave a legacy as part of a financial or estate plan. Make a lasting impact and extend your support with one of these gift arrangements.

  • What Your Donations Accomplish

    The Foundation exists to support the educational mission of programs, services, and enhancement of facilities at HCLS. We are able to contribute to capital improvements; collection development of books, media, and digital resources; the purchase of furniture and equipment; and cultural and educational programs. The Foundation cannot contribute funds to operating and maintenance expenses, which are the responsibility of the Library’s funding authorities.

Donate Today!

George and Mary Cassis were not originally from Hancock County. He was from London, and she was from Goshen, Indiana. George founded the company now known as Casco. They initially purchased a condominium in Pass Christian as a vacation home so they could view the beach every day. George would remark he could not believe there was a beach prettier than ours in Mississippi and that it rarely had many people on it. Unfortunately, Hurricane Camille destroyed that home.

After living and working all over the world, they finally retired to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and chose to live in Diamondhead. They bought the entire street of Malihini because it was on the water yet had great elevation. He understood if you want to live on the Gulf Coast elevation mattered. The house they built was designed by George and had incredible features including an orchid room where he proudly grew vanilla orchids. Overtime, Diamondhead became home, and for the first time. The Cassis’s became involved in their community.

George and Mary continually gave back to their community: they built and donated a school for Diamondhead, they helped build a church, and they built a business park which eventually became a medical complex.

They did not have heirs and struggled to figure out the beneficiaries of their estate. Ted Longo was their financial advisor, and he worked withthem through a variety of possibilities: Columbia University and Yale University (George attended both), the Salvation Army, and others that George eventually became frustrated with. If you knew George, you knew he was a genius and frustration was a common theme for him because he thought bigand was often disappointed.

Finally, he went to Ted and said, "You and Mother (what he called Mary) will have to figure it out.” Mary had a passion for reading and was upset that Diamondhead did not have their own library. She often remarked to any official within ear shot, “What do you think, people in Diamondhead can’t read?” Mary donated funds toward the construction of the Hancock County Library Diamondhead Branch. Their names grace the donor plaque in the library foyer.

Mary and Ted spent many years discussing how The Cassis Estate could make a real difference. Ted recommended she consider smaller, local organizations where her gift would have a larger impact. Because she was so passionate about reading, served on the Hancock County Library System Board, and was a contributor to the Diamondhead Branch, Ted suggested Mary consider the Library Foundation of Hancock County. Mary continued to linger over finalizing her decision.

One day, after many conversations over many years, she called Ted and said, “I am running out of time, and I am ready to make it happen.” Ted arranged for an attorney to meet them in Spanish Fort, AL where she was living in a retirement community. The details were drawn up and The Cassis Foundation was created with the Library Foundation of Hancock County named as the sole beneficiary.

This arrangement allowed George and Mary Cassis’s legacy to create a lasting and impactful contribution to the community they had grown to love. Since 2018,the Library Foundation has received over $2,000,000 in direct funding from George and Mary Cassis. What a fantastic legacy!

“The Library Foundation of Hancock County fills a very important void in the provision of services by the county’s library system. Much of the public computer equipment, online services, and technical equipment are furnished as gifts from the foundation as well as other items that you would normally expect from a library. We also sponsor several events like Summer Reading, Authors & Characters, and the annual Holiday Tree Gala. We can only do these things through gifts from the community and a couple of generous benefactors that have created trusts for our benefit. We appreciate all gifts, big and small.”
— Basil Kennedy, Treasurer

Contact the Library Foundation of Hancock County

We welcome your feedback and questions. Send an email for members of the Library Foundation to: foundation@hancockcls.org