2026 Capital Campaign · Cedar Hill, Chattanooga
Every StoryNeeds a Home.
Help ELLA Library raise the final $50,000 to complete renovations and reopen our doors this August.
Live Campaign Progress
We’re almost there.
Ten Years of Impact
Books. Stories. Art. Belonging.
Why This Matters
A permanent home for South Chattanooga’s stories.
In 2015, ELLA Library began with in-home story times and art play days in East Lake. We built community where we were — in living rooms, in parks, on porches.
We launched our first East Lake Book Fiesta in 2016 and have spent the last decade giving away more than 25,000 books — helping families fall in love with reading, art, and each other.
Now we’re building something permanent. A real home for books, folk arts, English language learning, after-school programs, cooking, and belonging — in the Cedar Hill building on the Rossville Boulevard corridor.
This renovation is more than construction. It’s a cultural institution taking root in South Chattanooga for generations to come.
Help Us Finish It
Campaign Video
See Why We’re Building
Keep Up With Us
Campaign Updates
The Story So Far
Ten Years in Pictures
Building Our Next Chapter
The Transformation
Drag the slider to see before and after.
Where Your Money Goes
What Your Gift Makes Possible
Community Kitchen
A place for cooking classes, cultural celebrations, family meals, and storytelling. Food is story.
More Room for More Stories
Expanded space for after-school programs, workshops, and community gatherings. We’ve reclaimed more than one-third of our space.
A Home Away From Home
Comfortable spaces — rugs, lamps, comfy chairs — where children, families, and neighbors can learn, create, and belong five days a week, year-round.
What Community Means
Join the Story
More Than One Way to Help
Donate
Help complete the renovation and reopen ELLA Library this August.
Donate Books
We run on books. Your donations stock our shelves and support AND THEN BOOKS.
- Children’s books
- Adult fiction & nonfiction
- Graphic novels & cookbooks
- Estate collections welcome
Volunteer
Help prepare for reopening and support programs year-round in East Lake.
Monthly Supporter
Provide ongoing support for books, storytelling, and arts programming all year.
Share the Campaign
Tag @ellachattanooga and use #StockTheShelves to spread the word.
Sponsor a Space
Put your name on the kitchen, shelving, youth area, or community gathering space.
Make Your Gift
Help Us Reopen
With Gratitude
Community Supporters
