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Mission Statement:
It is the mission of the Bridgeport Public Library to provide materials, resources and services which help patrons meet their personal, educational, cultural, and professional information needs.
Vision Statement:
We embrace the rich heritage and vibrant future of our growing community and aspire to be the best possible public library for Bridgeport. We create opportunities to participate, connect, and discover. We encourage lifelong learning, respond to the needs of our diverse community, offer space for people and ideas to come together, and provide materials and programs that entertain, inform, and inspire. We are committed to excellent customer service and stewardship of the physical and financial assets entrusted to the library.
History:
Michael Benedum founded the Benedum Library in 1956 with financial support from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The City of Bridgeport began providing financial support for the library in the mid-1970s. The library was located on the top floor of the Benedum Civic Center on Main Street and renamed Benedum Civic Center Library. In 1994, the citizens and businesses of Bridgeport raised over 1.3 million dollars to purchase and renovate the Allstate Insurance building on Johnson Avenue. It then became the Bridgeport Public Library. The Bridgeport Public Library, a department of the City of Bridgeport, is advised by a five member Library Board appointed by City Council. The library receives the bulk of its funding from the City of Bridgeport. Additional funding is provided by the State of West Virginia, the Harrison County Commission, the Harrison County Board of Education, and bequests.
