The Springfield City Library has had a profound impact on tens of thousands of patrons throughout its history, but for Mary K. Brogan, the Library and, in particular, the Reference Department, were essential to her professional career as a Private Investigator. Ms. Brogan practiced her profession in the City of Springfield for several decades beginning in the mid-1960s and passed away in October, 2020 at 92 years of age. Now thanks to a significant bequest from Ms. Brogan's estate, she is going to play an equally essential role in the future of the Library's collections and other resources for decades to come.
The Library Foundation worked closely with Ms. Brogan's niece, Judith Cramer, Ph.D., to design a plan that would fittingly honor both Ms. Brogan and her husband, John J. Brogan, who practiced law in the City. "Our Board of Directors felt very strongly about publicly recognizing Mary Brogan as both a major benefactor and as a pioneering woman professional in a field typically associated with hard-boiled men in rumply suits," said Matt Blumenfeld, the Library Foundation's Executive Director. "It's such a great story, and a testament to Mary Brogan's intelligence and fortitude that she was able to use the Library's resources so extensively in her work - it's a prime example of how the Library provides tremendous value for patrons in ways one doesn't typically consider."
The Foundation is creating the Business Center and Reference Desk at the East Forest Park Branch and the new Brogan Research Center at Wellman Hall at the Central Library.
There will be an official announcement of this project on Thursday, July 14th at 11:00am at The Central Library, 220 State Street, and more details to follow. Stay tuned to our website for full media coverage.
