Burlington Public Library Receives $3,500 Donation From Resident

BURLINGTON, MA — Burlington resident Barbara Del Duca donated $3,500 to the Burlington Public Library at a moment of particular need for the library, the library said Wednesday.

Del Duca retired 10 years ago after working 42 years at the Medford Public Library, and has lived in Burlington for 35 years. She donated in honor of her late husband, Ben, taught languages at Burlington High School for over 30 years, until 1994, and her stepdaughter, Sarah, who died in 2011.

“I figured that would be a good blend of practical and cultural,” said Del Duca in a statement. “Everything just came together so easily. This was something that had been on my mind for a while, I just figured this was the right time with everything that’s been going on. Libraries do such important work.”

The library will use her donation to buy new furniture and museum passes.

Typically, the Friends of the Library holds two fall book sales each year, aiming to raise $3,000. The spring book sale was impossible due to the pandemic, so Del Duca's donation saved them from a major shortfall.

“Barbara’s donation means the Friends can keep the books to use for the next book sale, which is incredibly important since we cannot accept donations of used materials at this time,” said Library Director Michael Wick in a statement. “In short, Barbara came in at just the right time and saved two book sales, while helping us continue to offer services people love. We are incredibly grateful for her generosity and the support we’ve received from the entire community over the last few months of the pandemic.”

The Friends are still planning a fall book sale, according to the news release.

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.