Council Appropriates $427,000 for Library Building Project The library advocacy community is enthusiastic about Council support to move forward with the library building project. Specifically, Council agreed to provide $7000 for revisions required for the State Library Bond grant application; $245,000 to contract with the architectural firm of Fields Devereaux to complete the Design Development phase of the project; and $175,000 to continue the momentum of the Capital Campaign. Council requested a specific goal for the campaign and would consider requests for additional campaign funding if the library is able to raise $2 million by December 31, 2003. Library Director Carolyn Crain made a staff presentation which included a brief look at the attributes and benefits of the planned library: designated homework area, community meeting room, local history room and book shop space; a library designed specifically to meet the needs of this community. Myra Frank, President of the Library Board of Trustees, explained that the current facility is more than rundown, its systems and infrastructure are failing and in many cases unsafe. "The city of San Marino deserves a first class library and the city should move forward now because the expense of building a quality structure will not decrease". Diana Nixon, Friends of the Library member, recalled her visits to the San Marino Library as a child, where she was introduced to the joys and pleasures of reading. As a parent, she desires that her daughter find the library an attractive and joyful destination; however, she described the library now as shabbier and less spacious than the library she grew up with. She went on to describe some of the faults of the 52 year old current building; it was built to hold 50,000 books and now holds over 90,000 books plus computers and collections of new formats that take up more space. The tables and chairs, part of the original 1951 furnishings, are squeezed close together making it difficult for staff and patrons to traverse the library. Lora Smith, resident and library employee, handed Council petitions with over 500 names of library users who support a new library and she described the inadequate emergency escape from the Processing room located in the basement. Initial funding for the Capital Campaign was provided by the San Marino Public Library Foundation. The Foundation hired Bob Bason of Charitable Funding Services Inc. (CFS) to conduct a campaign assessment survey, which was completed in May of 2002, and to organize the campaign. The added funding will allow CFS to compose the case statement and assist in the continued organization and training of volunteers to who will assume the actual tasks of the campaign. A Campaign Coordinator will be brought into the picture to direct the day-to day activities of the campaign. Council is providing funding for revisions to the State Bond grant application in order to apply in the second cycle and for the design development phase of the building project.