"We are beyond grateful to the Suzanne McGraw Foundation and to Sue personally for this extraordinary gift. Sue has been one of the Library's greatest champions for many years. Her passion for early childhood education and literacy, combined with her philanthropic vision, has transformed children's services at Darien Library and, through her support, our ability to deliver world-class programming for our community of young children and families," said Kiera Parrott, Library Director.

“Anyone who has ever visited the Library knows just how busy and vibrant our Children's Library is on any given day. The Suzanne McGraw Children's Librarian will be devoted to serving the developmental needs of children during their most critical cognitive stage: the first five years of life. This is when young minds are developing the neural connections necessary for language, letter recognition, and the very building blocks of reading comprehension,” Parrott continued. “By establishing this new position, the Suzanne McGraw Foundation has gifted the Library a librarian dedicated to cultivating a lifelong love of books and reading in every child who visits Darien Library.”

“The Suzanne McGraw Foundation is thrilled to extend its longstanding support to the Darien Library by creating a permanent children’s librarian position. This role will advance goals that have been critical to the library and our family for generations: youth education, engagement, and literacy,” said the Board of the Suzanne McGraw Foundation. “The Library is a very special place and is blessed with outstanding leadership and staff.”

Darien Library is one of the busiest public libraries in Connecticut, and the town has the highest per-capita number of residents under 18. Last year, the Library welcomed over 245,000 visitors, over half of whom visited the Children’s Library to borrow books or attend one of the dozens of weekly programs. Situated on the first floor of the 54,000-square-foot facility, the Children’s department features a unique organizing philosophy: materials for young children are arranged by topic in a “First Five Years” section. Picture books and materials for pre-readers are grouped by popular subjects, such as “Transportation,” “Concepts,” “Nature,” and “Folk & Fairy Tales.” This configuration “helps parents and caregivers more easily find books for their little ones,” explains Claire Moore Salgado, Head of Children’s Services. “Supporting the educational milestones of babies, toddlers, and preschoolers and helping get kids ready for kindergarten has always been a cornerstone of our mission. Half of our space is dedicated to that purpose, so we are really excited to have one of our librarians focus exclusively on this age group. It’s so important.”

The establishment of this newly endowed position is not the first major contribution by Suzanne McGraw or the McGraw family to the Library. Sue’s father, Harold W. McGraw, Jr., was a former Library Trustee and major benefactor, deeply influential in the construction of the Library’s former home at 35 Leroy Ave and its location at 1441 Post Road. The “new Library” opened on Mr. McGraw’s 91st birthday—January 10, 2009—and the Children’s Library is named in his honor. Following Mr. McGraw’s passing in 2010, his daughter, Suzanne McGraw, continued and expanded the family’s patronage of the Children’s Library by instituting the now-annual McGraw Family Day celebration. Each January, around Mr. McGraw’s birthday and in remembrance of his legacy of giving, Ms. McGraw provides the funding for a day-long series of activities and performances for families and young children. Each year, Ms. McGraw also enables the Library to purchase specialized furniture and interactive early literacy panels for the Children’s Library. In addition, the McGraw Family Foundation sponsored a multi-year Children’s and Youth Services Fellowship program, which helped shape and launch the careers of numerous library professionals from 2012 through 2025. The creation of the Suzanne McGraw Children’s Librarian position is a landmark contribution to Darien Library, building upon many years of dedication to and a deep belief in the power of the public library.

“This is a truly transformative gift,” said Hutch Pegler, President of the Darien Library Board of Trustees. “Not only does it redefine services and support for the very youngest patrons at Darien Library, but it also represents the very best of Darien. Sue is among a generation of philanthropists who have consistently given back to the community, again and again. The legacy of Sue’s father Harold at Darien Library included decades of tireless advocacy and financial support. Now, we are fortunate to be the recipients of Sue’s own considerable generosity, and we are proud stewards of her legacy as well, one that will be forever tied to her love for and devotion to children."