Friends of the Joliet Library receive $5,200 in donations

A February An Extraordinary Life story in The Herald-News about Rita Miller spoke about her love for reading and commitment to literacy.

Both Rita Miller of Joliet and her husband Charles Miller were longtime members of the Friends of the Joliet Public Library as well as the Will County Historical Society, and it was their wish to donate a portion of their estate proceeds to the Friends to support its programs

Their daughter Erica Santella of Florida recently presented Frankie Overcash, Friends of the Joliet Library treasurer, with two checks. One was for $5,000 and the second was for $200.

In an email Overcash said the Millers were so interested in helping children read as soon as possible that they gave books to expectant parents. The Millers also supported local authors and spread interest in local history. Overcash said Friends will be looking into programs that give books to new parents as well as looking for opportunities to support local authors, with the $5,000.

The Millers hoped that their donation would encourage other Joliet resident to also contribute to the Friends of the Joliet Public Library programs, Overcash said in an email.

The $200 will be used to purchase two commemorative bricks from the library’s “Buy a Brick” Program. The bricks will be placed in the Black Road Branch library’s garden patio, Overcash said.

Santella, who attended the Joliet Public Library’s book club with Rita this past year when it went virtual, said in February Herald-News story that Rita loved discovering books she might never have read and then listening to the opinions of the other readers.

“It did not matter one bit if Rita liked or disliked a book or if others did,” Erica wrote in Rita’s An Extraordinary Life story. “In fact, she may have enjoyed being the lone wolf sometimes and hearing what others had to say…Rita always got something out of it.”

For more information, visit jolietlibrary.org/en/friends.