Library Foundation Receives Historic $2.34 million Estate Gift

The Springfield-Greene County Library Foundation has received a $2.34 million estate gift from the late Ava Louise Gager Smith. Smith, a retired geologist and lifelong library user, passed away on May 15,  2025.

Bridget Dierks, Executive Director of the Library Foundation, said Ava Smith’s transformative estate gift will impact the Library Foundation and the District for generations. “Mrs. Smith’s legacy will forever be remembered by the Library Foundation and the District,” she said. “Her generosity will support vital library resources and programs our patrons enjoy for generations.” 

The Library Foundation will donate $300,000 to the capital campaign for the Hatch Auditorium at The Library Center, where the lobby will be named in her honor. The remainder of the estate will establish an unrestricted endowment fund with the Library Foundation to benefit the Library District annually.

This is the largest gift in Library Foundation history, followed by Jewell Schweitzer’s significant capital campaign naming right gift in 2016 for the Schweitzer Brentwood Branch Library. 

About The Library Foundation

The Springfield-Greene County Library Foundation’s mission is to strengthen the Springfield-Greene County Library District, which operates 10 branches and other services across Greene County. The Foundation’s Board of Directors fulfills that mission through the cultivation, growth, and thoughtful stewardship of charitable contributions, planned gifts, and grant funds. Founded in 1993, it is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.