Red Oak Public Library completes expansion project

RED OAK — The Red Oak Public Library expansion and renovation project recently ended on a positive note.

The project total came in under two million dollars, but could have cost a great deal more.

“Not only were we excited to have all the funding needed for the project, but the response to the renovation has been unbelievable” says the library's director, Kathi Wagner. “Before the project we were seeing circulations of over 65,000 (which were all time highs for the library), but since the project, we are headed for circulations well over 90,000.”

Wagner said the circulation figures may set new benchmarks beyond Red Oak.   

“These numbers could break the records of all the libraries our size in Southwest Iowa,” she said. “Not only are we seeing many more checkouts and higher computer usage, we are also seeing double the numbers of walk-in customers.”

She stressed the significance of donors and grants to the project.

“None of this would have been possible without all the support and contributions of our area citizens, our businesses, our very giving donors, our City and County, and very generous grants.”

The elevator, expansion, renovation, shelving, furniture and accessibility were all made possible through the following grants:

— Burlington Northern Santa Fe Foundation;

— Fraternal Order of Eagles #2715;

—    Iowa West Foundation;

— Montgomery County Community Foundation;

— Peter Kiewit Foundation;

—  Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust;

—  Schildberg Foundation;

— State of Iowa Community Attraction and Tourism /Vision Iowa;

— United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development Community Facilities Program.