Brentwood Library
The Donald Bruce Kaufman Brentwood Branch Library was Glorya’s first philanthropic endeavor she undertook alone. Wanting to pay tribute to her husband in a meaningful way, she phoned the Brentwood Library about six months after Don’s death, inquiring about building an addition to the branch in his name as Don was a voracious reader and advocate for early childhood development and access to culture. After her initial call with Glorya, Brentwood’s librarian, Joan Baxter, told her staff, “I just spoke with a woman who is going to change our lives.” What ensued was a complex, eleven-year effort, with numerous rounds of community fundraising and harrowing setbacks. The persistent efforts of Glorya and the Friends of the Library finally culminated in the unveiling of a new, modern facility by architect Arthur Erickson in 1993 that is 10,000 square feet larger than the previous space and one of the city’s most popular libraries. A bust of Don, sculpted by Donna Weiser, is displayed on the main floor, and a great room for the staff and the community is named after Glorya’s father, Samuel Pinkis. The library remains a living tribute to a man who held culture in such high esteem and to a community dedicated to enriching the lives of the next generation.
