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Early reports positive for new library fund-raising campaign
By Justin Goble
According to preliminary reports, community support for the new Jackson County library could be strong enough to ensure a successful fund-raising campaign.
This news came from Friends of the Library President Mary Selzer during a March 11 meeting of the Fontana Regional Library board.
Selzer said she and other library officials had met with Wilson Sims of Sims and Steele consulting firm of Asheville who is conducting a feasibility study for the fund-raising campaign. Though the firm’s study has not been finalized, Selzer said Sims updated officials as to how the study is progressing.
“They are still conducting interviews, but so far there’s been a really good response,” she said. “They should be done really soon. Close to 60 people have been interviewed, and it’s given them an idea of what’s in the community.”
Of those 60 people, Selzer said the firm interviewed many library board members, elected officials and “influential members of the community.”
“They tried to get a good cross-section of the community,” Selzer said. “Ninety percent of the people interviewed said they would personally contribute. It looks like we’re well positioned to reach our goal of $1.5 million.”
That money will be used to help furnish the new building. County commissioners last October approved a plan to put a new 20,000-square-foot, two-story library building on Courthouse Hill. Officials allocated $4.2 million to construct a new facility to replace the current 6,400-square-foot library.
Along with building the new library, commissioners expect to spend around $1.8 million renovating the old Courthouse, which would add 6,000 square feet of space.
According to plans, a new two-story library would hold computers, book stacks, study rooms, periodicals and more. The new library would be joined to the old Courthouse by a connector that will include the main entrance to the library facility.
While the commissioners have pledged money to build the new library, the project’s budget does not cover costs of furniture and fixtures. Whatever funds are raised by the community will help furnish the new building.
Selzer said Sims would report on his findings to commissioners during their regular meeting Monday, April 7, at 6 p.m. If the final results are still positive, Selzer said she hopes Sims and Steele will help the county move forward with its fund-raising campaign.
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