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05/23/2017 12:00 AMAfter a successful referendum and with the Ad-Hoc Library Expansion Building Committee already at work, residents are in the process of trying to raise every last dollar for the E.C. Scranton Memorial Library renovation plan. When the library project passed at referendum in February, the library had about $1.6 million left to raise. Now, only a few months later, that number is down to $1.1 million.
The current renovation plan for the E.C. Scranton Memorial Library is a scaled-down version of the plan that Madison voters narrowly defeated in a 2008 referendum vote. Current designs for the building work to preserve the historical architecture while improving the streetscape and expanding the floor plan. The square footage of the building will jump from 17,000 to 37,000 and a 45-space parking lot will be added.
The project to renovate the library is estimated to cost $15 million, but thanks to substantial grants and fundraising efforts, the library asked the town to bond for $9.1 million. At referendum on Feb. 7, voters approved the bonding total with 1,897 “Yes” votes to 550 “No” votes.
Before the referendum, library officials established a capital campaign known as “Futures” to cover the $6 million library portion of the project. With $1.1 million left to go, library trustees have been reaching out to residents capable or willing to make “leadership contributions” and pledges of $10,000 or more.
Two residents and past library board members, Roberta Isleib and John Brady, recently made a leadership donation and have been named honorary co-chairs of the Futures Campaign to help bring in additional donations. Brady, who was involved with the fundraising effort before the failed 2008 referendum, said he hopes to help people see the value in donating to the library project.
“We are hoping we can help motivate people to dig deep and ensure this is a wonderful institution 100 years from now,” he said. “Roberta and I have been using libraries since we were little children. The experience was magical—you mean we can take any of these books home? Today we are amazed at the vitality and enjoyment that goes on in our ever-evolving library.”
Isleib said, having visited libraries around the country, wants to help people realize the potential that comes with a new and active library building.
“The library has been important to me from the very beginning,” she said. “I know more could happen here if there was the space.”
To keep the dollars rolling in, Library Board of Trustees President Beth Coyne said the library is reaching out to those capable of making leadership donations and those who pledged back in 2008, but didn’t make formal gifts after the vote went down. Soon she said the library will begin reaching out to all Madison residents, looking for donations both big and small to close the gap.
“Since the referendum, and I mean that was a major $9 million gift, I think it has been very exciting to see the dollars coming in since then…It is remarkable,” she said. “It is really motivating the fundraising committee that these actions are happening and keeping us going as we head into summer.”
Donors also have a series of naming opportunities in the new building depending on the size of the donation. Pledges can be a one-time lump sum gift or the pledges can be spread out over a period of three years. All money donated to the Futures Campaign goes towards the new building, but Coyne said the library is continuing to fundraise through what is known as the annual appeal.
With two campaigns or appeals going on at the same time, Coyne said there has been some confusion, but the annual appeal has existed for years to cover the 15 percent of the library operating budget not covered by the town. Annual giving runs all year and helps support the purchasing of books, audio books, online databases, and programmatic needs among others.
“The operating budget isn’t going away,” said Coyne.
Coyne said the library is working on a visual display for outside the library to keep residents informed of how much money is still needed to complete the futures campaign. For now, Coyne said the library is aiming to have all the pledges, if not all the dollars, in hand by sometime in 2018.
“We had talked about spring or fall of 2018,” she said. “We will have some deadlines with the town so that definitely impacts our goal date. We are still nailing down an exact date but it has to be sometime in 2018.”
To make a gift or pledge, or for information about the Futures project, contact Scranton Memorial Library Development Manager Beth Skudder at 203-245-7365.