This is often a question that gets asked to me so I will answer it here. How did we get the money? Over a year ago, I was informed of a grant/low interest loan program for libraries. President Obama had an initiative to help libraries with USDA Rural Development. So I mentioned it to the Board of Trustees. Our President, Allen Noel, and I got the extensive paperwork and started wading through it, completing it and after about 4 months turned it in. We assumed it was a long shot as a building expansion project was a lot of money.
February 2010 we were notified by USDA that they would like to meet with us. We had to scale down our project, no second story, no elevator, etc because the funds just weren't there for this project. We were told we passed the pre-application process and were now in the application stage. More paperwork was given to us, we had to hire an architect, we needed an auditor, an attorney and we had 60 days or less to get this all done or the initiative money would be gone. Instead of receiving $200,000 in grant money we would only receive $50,000 and the rest of the project would need to be funded by low interest loan. The Board and I buckled down, within a week we had everyone on board, an architect, Teistch Kent Fay, an attorney-James Stokes, an auditor- Moore and Hart and we were sifting through the paperwork and getting it all completed.
We spent many late nights and lots of time together but we completed everything needed for the application process. Two weeks ago, we were sent the letter stating we had indeed been awarded the project- $200,000 in grant, $372,000 in a low interest loan for 40 years at 4% for $372,000. With that money, we can expand the library 3100 sq feet.
How are we paying for the loan? Last year we went to the school district taxpayers and requested more funding. Due to the passing of that funding, we now have the money to pay the loan each month.
The timeline as of today for the project is: going out to bid beginning of July and ground breaking mid to late August.
You will see a lot of changes happening already around the library. Trees have been cut down out back. The book barn has been moved to its new owner, Lisa Bryant at the adjacent property of 79 East Main Street. The storybook cottage will be moving soon to the new owner who won the sealed bid. The weekend of June 12, the program room will be closed forever as the fire department will be using the room for training exercises before we remove that portion from the building. All of our programs will be held at the municipal building (fire house) across the street beginning on June 16.
Will we close the library during this project? At this time no, we will not. Some things will be put into storage as we will be losing the room adjacent to the program room in mid August. There will be no public bathroom during the project too. But, we will remain open until the completion of the project when we close a few days for the staff to move things into the new building.
What will happen to the current portion of our beautiful library? It will get to rest. This building was built in 1850 as a residence, not a library. In 1903, it was given to the community as a library and opened its doors with 760 volumes on its shelves. The library was only the front two rooms of the building. Now we use the entire building and house over 17,000 items. The library needs to rest, the traffic and main collection needs to move. So the historic portion of the library will be a staff work room (where the children's room is now), the Local History section (where the circulation desk is now), a small conference room as well as where we will house large type books and books on tape/CD (where our non fiction room is now) and possibly the teen area as well. Upstairs the Library Manager's Office will remain and the other rooms will be storage areas. We will now have quiet book nooks in our library for patrons to utilize in our historic part of the library too!
Why have we not said much to the community? Why does it seem like we are keeping it all secret? We apologize to anyone and everyone if they felt we were doing this. First off, when we preapplied we knew it was a long shot so we never told anyone way back then. When we were in the application process we had 60 days to do something that most people have a year to do. We just didn't have the time to share at that point. Then in the final stages we couldn't share until we got the official word that we had indeed received the funding.
I hope I have answered most of your questions. If there is anything else you would like to know, please stop into the library and ask for me. Or email me at mforward@midyork.org. I would be more than happy to sit down with anyone and discuss the project in more detail. Also, check out the plans for the expansion on display now in the front foyer. We are open Monday, Wednesday, Friday 12-8pm, Tuesday and Thursday 10-8pm and Saturday 10-4pm.
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