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The Moses Lake Public Library Foundation is inviting the media, donors and the public to the Moses Lake Public Library on Wednesday, July 26th, 2017 at 5:00pm. At this time photos will be taken with the donors as the library begins the first phase of updating the shelving.
Attending the event will be members of the Rotary Club of Moses Lake and the Kiwanis Club of Moses Lake, the primary donors for this phase. Both of these service clubs, in partnership, have given $24,750 to the Moses Lake Public Library Foundation to replace outdated shelving in the library. The donation of $12,750 came from the 2016 Kiwanis Club of Moses Lake & Rotary Club of Moses Lake Golf Scramble, a $9,000 matching grant from The Rotary Foundation and $3,000 from the Sunrise Rotary Club of Moses Lake.
The Moses Lake Public Library Foundation’s current project is to help replace old, worn out, and inadequate shelving at the Moses Lake Public Library in Moses Lake, Washington. The phase of the project specifically addresses replacement of shelving in the children, juvenile and young adult areas of the library.
The library’s current shelving was built-in when the library opened in 1965. The original shelves are laminated wood, which is wearing and breaking. The original shelves do not meet modern seismic requirements for library shelving and this required the insertion of long bolts. The bolts do not allow the shelves to be adjusted. Formats such as DVDs and CDs didn’t exist in 1965 so the library has worked creatively. What has been used for additional space is low cost and low quality.
New steel shelves will be interchangeable, come in a variety of shapes and styles to meet the needs of modern formats, and will meet seismic requirements. The shelves in this phase will be mobile so that the library can optimize the very limited space currently in this section.
“I’ve been to our local library on weekends and seen first hand the number of residents that benefit from such a great resource. I’m excited to be a part of a project that will support the library and provide some physical flexibility to accommodate growth and future programs,” said Tammy Nolan, Kiwanis Club of Moses Lake
Tim Fuhrman, President of the Moses Lake Public Library Foundation says, “The Foundation is thrilled to finally begin this first phase in replacing the library’s deteriorating and outdated shelving. This installation will replace many of the shelves in the library’s children and juvenile sections with mobile units that will allow the library to better utilize the space in those areas for events and other activities. These shelves are being paid for though a Rotary and Kiwanis donation from their golf tournament last year. Thanks to generous donations from the Friends of the Library, the Lioness Club of Moses Lake, Basic American Foods, and so many others, we will soon be replacing all of the shelving in the children’s areas, as well as those in the video, foreign language, and new books areas too. In fact, we’ve already begun making plans for shelving replacement in other areas of the library as well. We are so thankful for the individuals and organizations that support the work of the Foundation to improve the Moses Lake Public Library! We couldn’t do this without them!”
The Moses Lake Public Library is uniquely positioned to make a significant difference in our community. They serve the entire community, and are open seven days per week. They offer programing to meet the needs of its users from preschool children to adults in their retirement years. They encourage users to explore new ideas and become lifetime learners, and they provide users free access to many collections, including online resources and the internet.
The Moses Lake Library Foundation’s mission involves promoting the development and improvement of the library’s services, collections and facilities. It provides advocacy, financial support, and leadership for library related issues, focusing on the expansion and updating of the present facility. For information on the Moses Lake Public Library Foundation contact Barbara Guilland at 509-765-3219, see their website at www.mlplf.org or their Facebook page.
