Library nears goal

By Hannah Wever
Review Staff Writer
Published: October 30, 2008

The Gordonsville Friends of the Library are hoping for the last-minute donations they’ll need to meet a $300,000 fund-raising goal before a November 15 deadline. In the home stretch, the group is just under $60,000 shy of their fundraising goal, and an expanded new home for the Gordonsville branch of the Orange County Public Library.
At the end of June 2008, the Orange County Board of Supervisors announced that final design concepts had been selected for a new library building at the former Catholic Church at the corner of Main and Baker Streets in Gordonsville. Currently, the Gordonsville Library’s collection of 18,000 items is housed within the 1,000-square foot former town hall. Another 5,000 items are in storage due to lack of shelf space.
There are two design options from which the board can choose: A 5,100 square-foot renovation of the former church and building addition which the board is prepared to pay for; or a larger, more expensive 6,167 square-foot renovation.
The county budget doesn’t include funds for the difference between the larger and smaller design options, so supervisors said financial support for the 6,167-square foot option must come from the community. In June, county officials said that if the community can raise $300,000 by October, it will bid the larger of the two options (6,167 square feet.)
Recently, the original deadline for generating the funds for the larger design option was extended to Nov. 15.
For months, book sales, an ice cream social, raffles and other events have helped bring in donations from community members and businesses. The red mark on the dollars-raised thermometer outside the former Catholic Church has climbed from zero to over $240,000, according to Gordonsville Friends of the Library Treasurer Ann Friberg.
“The meter is now at $241,000. There are some funds out and people are still sending in donations,“ she explained. Good news for the Gordonsville Friends is that there’s just a little more time than expected; the deadline has been pushed again until the end of November, Friberg added. 
And there are still events planned that may help the money meter continue to climb, she added.
“There is a book sale on Nov. 8 at the church. The raffle for the afghan and Rocky [a horse] are still going on. Tickets will be for sale at the book sale,“ Friberg said.
Gordonsville Mayor Bob Coiner said he is optimistic that the community will pitch in to help library fundraisers meet their goal, despite a troubled economy.
“There is a very strong commitment to this project from a broad base of individuals in the county. We recently received a commitment of $98,000 from an individual and $10,000 from Virginia Dominion Power,“ Coiner said. “Now is the time to use all available funds for the proper construction, because the construction issue will never be revisited, it is now or never.“
Friberg said the $300,000 goal includes some funding for furnishings. If necessary, she added, some furnishings could be purchased later on, through additional fundraising.