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Library growth

Carroll County Public Library receives
grant toward future expansion

Debra Maylum
Staff Writer

CARROLLTON, Ky. (February 2005) – North American Stainless on Jan. 26 presented the Carroll County Public Library with a check for $100,000 to begin fund raising efforts for future expansion and remodeling. Mary Jean Riley delivered the check on behalf of the company to Ruth Baxter, chair of the Board of Trustees at a Library Foundation meeting.

Mary Jean Riley, Ruth Baxter

Photo by Debra Maylum

Mary Jean Riley (left) presents Ruth Baxter (right) with a check for library renovation.

“It is well known in the community that the library does good work. We are pleased to contribute to its growth,” said Riley.
Also discussed at the meeting were plans for moving forward with the expansion project. The total amount authorized for the project, in order to pay back any debt in a timely manner, is $2 million, officials said.
The library is pursuing a loan from the USDA Rural Development for $1.5 million and the remaining amounts will be raised through fund raisers, said librarian Jarrett Boyd. All present at the meeting were asked to submit three fund raising ideas for consideration.
“I don’t think that we’ve had a fund raiser of this nature in Carrollton before, but I think that we can do it,” Baxter said. There are smaller towns out there who have raised even more money. It’s going to take hard work, but it will be worthwhile.”
The expansion of the library will take the building from its current 6,000 square feet to 14,000 square feet. The new building will expand from where it currently sits back to Fourth Street, where a metal shop is now situated. It will also expand northward by requiring the demolition of the building that now houses the Port William Antique Mall. Currently, antique mall owner Linda Johnson rents space from the library foundation.
“We hate to lose the presence of the antique mall, and hope that she will be able to relocate,” said Boyd.
Johnson said that relocation is not in her plans. She was served an eviction notice on Jan. 27 and is to be out of the building by May 1. She has no plans to re-open at another location, she said.
Johnson began renting the building six years ago to open her antique store. At that time, she says that she was unaware of the fact that plans were under way for this project. In recent years, she has been told of steps being taken toward the renovation.
“I have been informed along the way of a few things, but not anything this drastic or that it would be this soon,” said Johnson.
The next step for the Library Board of Directors is to finalize fund raising plans and to begin working with architects to get plans in hand so that the project can get under way, Boyd said.

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