Saturday, May 16 was the official groundbreaking ceremony and celebration for the new Jackson County Public Library Complex on Courthouse Hill in Sylva.

 

The Smoky Mountain High School Jazz Band kicked off the festivities by playing at the courthouse fountain. Then a Scottish piper lead the Little Friends of the Library children and the crowd up the steps to the portico for the ceremony. The official groundbreaking was held behind the courthouse on the site of the new library complex addition. Everyone then gathered at Bicentennial Park for a celebration which included live music, a remote broadcast by WRGC Radio, family-friendly activities and complimentary food. Many area businesses gave discounts to library cardholders and the Bookstore held a one-day-only celebration half-off sale.

 

Pictured (l-r) Jackson County Commissioners: Brian McMahan, Chair, Mark Jones, Commissioner, Will Shelton, Commissioner and Joe Cowan, Commissioner. Tom Massie, Commissioner, was unable to attend the groundbreaking due to a prior commitment. For a slide show of the Groundbreaking Ceremony & Celebration, click here.

 

Brantley Construction of Canton has been selected as the contractor for the new Public Library Complex, with a bid of $6.2 million. Work began on Monday following groundbreaking, with a completion date of spring 2011.

The Friends of the Jackson County Main Library have received a grant from The Glass Foundation, based in Asheville. The $37,212 grant will be used to serve the distinctive needs of older children, past their preschool years, but not yet in their teens. The Glass Foundation funds will be used to purchase computers and related equipment, along with computer work stations for the children’s section of the library. The purchase of additional multi-media equipment will make it possible to conduct larger group educational programs, and to help the children conduct research and explore the world via the Internet.

 

The Glass Foundation was founded in 2000 by Kenneth E. and Nancy J. Glass with the intention of helping the Western North Carolina region thrive as a whole community educationally, environmentally, economically, and culturally and offer a distinctive quality of life.

 

The Glass Foundation grant application was prepared by the Foundations and Grant Sub-Committee of the Campaign Steering Committee, with assistance from Sims and Steele Consultants. Dr. Karl Nicholas is chair of this committee.

School is out, and once again the Friends of the Jackson County Main Library and the Jackson County Library have joined forces to offer two summer reading programs. The programs are designed to help children increase their reading skills over the summer and to raise money to furnish the new library while encouraging a lifelong love of reading.

 

The Friends’ reading program, "Books for Bricks Challenge 2009," encourages children in grades pre-K through 7th grade to read books (or be read to), gather sponsors, and collect from the sponsors $1.00 or more for each book read. Each dollar collected represents one brick in the new Jackson County Library – thus, "Building Our New Library One Brick at a Time." The reader who reads the most books and the reader who collects the most money will receive gift certificates from Wal-Mart. All readers who turn in money for the library will be recognized with a certificate presented at a Jackson County Commissioners’ board meeting. All of the funds will be donated to the New Library Fund to furnish the new Jackson County Public Library Complex.

 

The library summer reading program is entitled “Be Creative.” The theme encourages many kinds of creativity and should be of strong interest to children of all ages. Elizabeth Beck, the Jackson County Library children’s librarian, has a series of age-appropriate activities planned throughout the summer.

 

Registration forms for “Books for Bricks Challenge 2009” are available at the Friends of the Library Book Store, 536 West Main Street, Sylva, and at the Sylva library on Main Street. Registration begins now. The “Books for Bricks” program will run June 15 – August 14th. The “Be Creative” summer reading program will run from June 16 – July 30th, and children may register at the library in Sylva.

The new Jackson County Public Library Complex is being designed to incorporate a Teen Room. To find out what local teens want in their new room, June Smith, President of the Friends of the Library, and Ashley Rivers Dunn, local designer with Elements Unlimited Design, went to Smoky Mountain High School to find out.

 

Many students stopped by the booth to look at the renderings and floor plans, samples of upholstery fabric, surface materials and carpet, along with pictures of other design elements for the room. The opinions expressed on that day will be helpful as final selections for the interior design are made. The photo shows the designer and students with carpet samples. For a slide show of the teens at the Smoky Mountain input session, click here.

Beautiful t-shirts displaying the capital campaign logo are for sale at the booksore. The shirts cost $15 each or are free with a $100 or more donation to the new library. Show your support by wearing one of the shirts!