Library Director Jeni Sperry and Friends of the Library President Lara Goeckeritz recently announced the April start to this year’s Read-a-thon.  

The major project on the way for the library is an expansion of the facility about thirty feet out from the building to the west.

“The timeframe is a little hard, because the funds are through a ten year levy,” Sperry said.  The measure was passed during last year’s election cycle, and provides $150K a year (a total of $1.5 million) over that span of time exclusively for building and facilities purposes, rather than books or programming.  Money is earning interest until it is used.

Tape in the lobby has been used already to mark out the location where a new circulation desk will be installed soon.  

“We will be remodeling the office area before we can get to the full addition,” Sperry said.

If you have attended meetings or workshops at the library, you might be aware that the conference room serves many purposes, including its nominal one.  Beyond being a meeting place, it is also an ad hoc STEM room, as well as a storage area for the library’s extensive collection of resources.  The remodel will allow the room to become a dedicated STEM room, so that “all of the equipment that the library has will be more useable, because it will have a space to be used in.”

Sperry expects that those projects will be completed before the main expansion starts.  “We have looked at loans, but I don’t think it’s fiscally responsible to spend potentially a third of the funding on interest for a loan,” she said.  “With the cost of everything going up right now—and definitely over the next ten years that will continue to happen—we have asked the Friends of the Library to help us raise additional funds to help us make sure we can get what we need to do this.”

“That’s where we come in,” Goeckertiz said.  “I  came in looking at what we could do to get fundraising going.  The book sales bring in a bit.  The big sale for the year is at the Welsh Festival, but that is moving for this year.”  The Welsh Festival organizers announced late last year that the event would be moving to Samaria.  The Friends of the Library also holds book sales during the Fourth of July and during the County Fair.  

The Friends sold donated and handmade crafts at craft fairs during the holidays and made some money that way.  

Goeckertiz noted that the Library has overseen Readathons in the past, and she would like to see even more kids get involved this year.  An emphasis this year will be on the prizes that kids can win based on the pledges they are able to secure.

Readers will get pledges based on the number of minutes read.

All ages are invited to participate.  Adults may assist young readers.   Prizes will be given for the most hours read, most money earned, and all participants will be entered into a drawing for additional prizes.  

The QR Code on this page can be used to get started and signed up for the Readathon, which has already secured a number of prizes from local businesses, including passes to LaGrande Aqua Plunge, coupons for Bamma Wamma’s, fidget toys, clothing items, crafted items, an Antler Chain, book marks, toys, a slip n slide, water guns, and more.

The large prizes announced so far include passes to Lava Hot Springs, a Quilt donated by the Oneida Quilt Club, and tickets to Cache Valley Fun Park.  More prize donations are still coming in, and will be announced throughout the month.