Library Renewal Project Gets Grant
By Sara Golling
Columbia Basin Trust Commits $75,000 to the Library Renewal Project
CBT’s Kelvin Saldern brought good news to the Rossland Public Library’s board meeting on March 10 — news of a big boost toward their Renewal Project with a $75,000 grant from CBT.
The project will revitalize the library interior using modern design and advanced technology to create an information rich, inspiring interior. Funding for the renewal project is now half way toward the goal of $310,000.
The Library’s funding for regular operations, on the other hand, has been reduced by Rossland City Council in its attempts to devote more funding to aging and failing infrastructure (such as leaky water pipes). The reduction in library funding that is expected at this stage — nothing is final until the City’s budget is complete — would result in a reduction in library service: fewer hours open.
Library users may have noticed that there are fewer books on the shelves than we are accustomed to seeing; this is, at least in part, an effort to “clear the decks” for the work of the renewal project. A number of users have commented that they hope to see the nomber of books rise again when the project is done.
