ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, December 16, 1995 TAG: 9512180030
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: ELISSA MILENKY STAFF WRITER
The Blacksburg branch of the Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library came $10,000 closer to reaching its fund-raising goal Friday afternoon.
The Kiwanis Club of Blacksburg donated $10,000 toward furnishings for a children's story time room, part of a major expansion and renovation effort at the 15-year-old Blacksburg branch. Construction began in April to increase the size of the library, formerly a lumber supply store, from 14,000 to 16,000 square feet. The expansion will provide 73 percent more usable space, however, because part of the library's property, an unheated warehouse used for storage, now, will be the front of the building.
Fund raising is crucial to the project because donated money will pay for furnishings, part of the construction cost and other items not covered by the $1.88 million in voter-approved bond money. Ultimately, fund-raising organizers hope to raise $300,000 by June, when the library is expected to open at full capacity, said Jim Johnson, chairman of the fund-raising committee for the library's board of trustees.
So far, $55,000 in individual donations has been raised. The Kiwanis club has offered the largest check to date, though 24 donations have been made for more than $1,000, Johnson said. Efforts are in progress to raise more money through corporate partnerships and donations.
"We have some stuff we're pretty sure of, but we're not counting on it until we see it," Johnson said.
Early childhood development is a major focus for the Kiwanis Club on an international basis, members said, which is why the group made its largest donation of the year toward the story-time room. Karen Dillon, regional library director, said the Blacksburg branch never had a separate room for children's programming.
Dillon added that the first phase of construction, re-building the warehouse formerly used by the county for storage into a usable building, should be completed in January. The portion of the library that is currently being used will be moved into the new building.
Once that is done, Dillon said, the second phase of construction will begin - rebuilding the old library structure.
LENGTH: Short : 46 linesby CNB