By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — Ongoing efforts to raise money for the Warsaw Community Public Library Improvement Fund will include a special fundraiser at the Zimmer Biomet Center Lake Pavilion in Warsaw.
The Warsaw Friends of the Library will host the “We Love Our Library Fundraiser” from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, October 22.
The Improvement Fund was established after Warsaw City Council turned down a $17 million bond issue for major library renovations.
The vote means the library cannot seek another bond issue for two years.
Without an additional influx of money, library officials have said they fear that a breakdown of aging major mechanicals could ultimately lead to a crisis that could force a temporary closure of the library.
The fundraiser theme matches the message on yard signs that appeared ahead of the council’s May 14 vote. Many of those signs remain in yards five months later as a silent protest in support of the library.
The library saw a spike in interest in helping the library shortly after the vote, but momentum has faded, said Bree Robinson, a spokesperson for Friends of the Library.
“The donations that we were getting after the bond meeting have really kind of dropped down,” Robinson said.
“We’re really seeing that kind of tail off. So we’re just hoping this kind of revives some of it and gets people back in the mood of, ‘Oh hey, the library still needs our support,’ ” Robinson said.
Long term, the Library Board hopes to raise $8.5 million, but for now officials are focused on meeting a $50,000 matching grant opportunity that has a deadline at the end of the year.
“Right now we’ve got the $13,000 toward it, so we’re really hoping to pull in some donations and raise as much as we can to try to meet that goal, she said.
The event will include a silent auction, bingo, live music, food, and a mocktail bar.
Two specially designed T-shirts will be available in exchange for a $25 donation.
Robinson spoke about the fundraiser following a meeting of the Friends last week.
The meeting attracted about 15 people, some of whom have been with the group since it began ten years ago.
At the same time, the group is seeking more people to get involved, in part to help with working at the weekly book sales at the library.
Robinson said the lack of support has made it difficult to operate the book sale.
To learn more and get involved, click on this link.
