Johnsons help Scottdale Public Library raise more than $12K

Glenn and Carole Johnson have donated to the Scottdale Public Library since they first funded creation of a children's room at the facility's former location on Pittsburgh Street several years ago.

Today their philanthropy continues. Instead of giving a flat sum, the couple has created a challenge through the "I Love My Library" campaign to help members of the community get involved in giving as well.

Director Patti Miller said that besides paying for the children's room at the previous location, the Johnsons funded the children's room in the new library before coming up with the challenge.

It's all in remembrance of their daughter Beth Ann Johnson, who would have been 44 years old this year if her life had not been cut short when Pan Am Flight 103 was bombed by terrorists on Dec. 21, 1988, over Lockerbie, Scotland.

"We all grew up going to the library, and when we were young and money was tight, you used to go to the library," Glenn Johnson said.

Carole Johnson said their family has always had a connection to libraries and Beth Ann did her work study in the library at Seton Hill College in Greensburg.

While Glenn Johnson is originally from Scottdale and his wife's father had a business in Scottdale, the couple now resides in the Greensburg area. They continued to subscribe to Scottdale's weekly newspaper, though.

"We read an article that they were going to make a children's room at the old library, and I thought, 'Wouldn't it be great if it could be in Beth Ann's honor?'" Carole Johnson said.

The Johnsons called the library and made a presentation to the board, including pictures of their daughter working in the library at Seton Hill.

"We expressed to the board our daughter's love of the library and said we would like to make a $10,000 donation to the children's room, and that's how it started," Carole Johnson said.

When the new library was being built, the Johnsons continued their support, pledging $100,000 for completion of the children's room.

"Our whole philosophy of who we donate to is that they have to have a set goal and people with expertise and the desire to see it to the end, and it has to be something that would have been of interest to Beth," Carole Johnson said.

In 2009, when the Scottdale Public Library faced a more than 20 percent cut in state funding, the operators decided they would not reduce services or hours but would continue fundraising in hopes of making up the lost state money. That's when the "I Love My Library" campaign was born.

When the Johnsons read about the campaign, they decided to extend a challenge to the community.

"We wanted to help, but instead of just giving them (the library) the money, we wanted to let them use it as a tool to raise even more money," Carole Johnson said.

So for every year of their daughter's life had she not been killed, they pledged $100 as long as donations from the community matched that amount.

Last year, their daughter would have been 43, which accounted for the $4,300 pledge. The community pulled through, and the library raised more than $9,600.

This year the Johnsons continued with their challenge -- this time for $4,400.

Miller said she was amazed by what the community did. With the Johnsons' money, the library raised more than $12,000 through the campaign.

"The big thing is we wanted to show our interest, but we also wanted to generate interest from the community," Glenn Johnson said.

Carole Johnson added that the community has so much to be proud of, and they just wanted the community to feel that they were doing their part.

Miller said they've always had the philosophy that everyone counts.

"When people have read what the Johnsons have done for the library, I get checks in the mail -- maybe for just $5 -- from people who said they saw what the Johnsons did and wanted to do what they could as well," Miller said.