Library breaks ground in Susquehanna County

BY STACI WILSON

The Susquehanna County Free Library Association broke ground Tuesday for a new facility on land donated by the Montrose Area School District. Site work for the nearly $5 million project is set to get underway this year; with building construction expected to begin in 2016.

Librarian and Administrator Susan Stone said the project has great “synergy.”

“What I see here is awesome to me,” she said. “I like to see local hands on board.” Ken Rauch Excavating, located in the Montrose area, will be doing site work, she said. “His son, Adam, attended story hour when he was three years old. He’s putting the shovel in the ground. That’s great synergy.”

Stone also spoke of what the new facility means to her, the staff and the community.

The new library will provide more space at computer stations; and comfortable chairs where visitors can use their own laptops and devices; parking in front of the library; and no stairs to climb to enter the building.

“Books will no longer be jammed in on top of others on the shelves,” Stone said, adding that complete collections would be housed on the one level. Currently, some books are housed in the downstairs level of the library.

After the new branch building is complete, the Susquehanna County Historical Society will take over the current Monument Square building.

Stone said that will enable the entire historical society collection to be brought out of storage and put on display. She also said there would be an expanded area designated for researchers.

With $2.5 million in the building fund, and the support of a USDA Rural Development funds, another $2 million is needed to complete the project, Edgar Warriner, Chair of
the Susquehanna County New Library Building Fund Committee, told the crowd of about 100 at the ceremony.

Warriner said that “Our staff fundraises every single day.” From book sales to the Blueberry Festival, they are always there, he noted.

Although recently moved from the area, longtime fundraising chair Kim Harwood said, “Go forth in the community and spread the word about this great project. Get everybody on board. This is a happening thing. Your enthusiasm is infectious.”

Harwood presented Library board of trustees president Tom Kurosky with a miniature silver shovel to commemorate the groundbreaking.

Recently, the First Congregational Church of Harford held a bake sale to benefit the library building fund. The Election Day event, coordinated by Kandy Wellman, generated $600 in sales and donations.

The church also contributed $750 from the offering collected at the St. John’s Choir performance.

Wellman said, “The amount raised may be a small drop in the bucket when compared to the cost of building the new library, but even small drops can help fill a bucket.”

In December 2014, library supporters Bill and Brenna Aileo issued a fundraising challenge, pledging to match donations received. The month-long challenge raised a total of $50,000.

Montrose Superintendent Carol Boyce welcomed the “new neighbors” to the “hilltop” on School Road in Bridgewater Twp., across from the Junior-Senior High School.

“We are happy to have provided the land,” she said, “in benefit to the youngsters. It’s lifelong learning.”