43 Years and Moving Forward

Fundraising Luncheon!

Staff Photo by Robin Archer

Forty three years of service and still going strong. The Parrott- Wood / Strawberry Plains Library hosted a Chili Luncheon fundraiser at the First Baptist Church in Strawberry Plains on Saturday, January 27th 2013. The anniversary luncheon was well attended, as the community came out to support the Parrott- Wood Library Building Fund.

The library has just celebrated forty three years of service to the Strawberry Plains community. The library is in its original building, built in 1969-70, which is only slightly over 800 sq. The new addition would double the size of the library. This would allow for a children’s section to be restored as a permanent part of the library. The children’s section of the library was taken over when they brought in the computers several years ago. This summer, the library was unable to host children’s reading programs due to the lack of space.

The good news for this library- they have a great community that is actively interested in growing the current library space! The library is seeking local businesses, as well as individuals, to contribute their time and effort to the library. The expansion of the small library will cost an estimated $50,000 and the hope is to minimize all of the labor cost by asking for volunteers. Thus far, the library has already had two architects and a contractor volunteering time and working without the contracting fee. They would like to have a second individual or company for each of the basic building needs so that, should a job or emergency arise, they would have a backup plan for the construction time. Dedicated individuals with high skill areas, such as Masonry, Electrician, Plumbing, Roofing, and Carpentry are integral to the success of the project.

Already the project has received an anonymous donation of up to $12,500 in matching funds, and there are already a few donors who have donated books for the new expansion. The library plans to have a couple more fundraisers, before the spring. Community support is one of the main assets of the movement to enlarge Parrott-Wood Library. The Moving Forward group donated the food, along with donations from Frito – Lay and New Creations Hair Salon for the chili luncheon and the First Baptist Church was kind enough to donate the building for the luncheon.