Construction on the new Carthage Public Library is progressing quickly, with exterior work and parking lots nearly finished and interior work continuing.
Director Amy Gee expects the library to move into the new, one-story building this spring.
The new building has been years in the making. The library has long outgrown its current home — a former bank building that posed accessibility challenges and would have required costly renovations.
The plan to build a modern, single-level library was supported by local donations, a $1.2 million bond issue approved by voters, and a state library construction grant.
As staff finalize furnishings and shelving for the new space, the library has launched a new fundraising campaign, “Stacking Up Support for Our New Library.”
The goal is to raise $100,000 by the end of February to pay for new shelving.
Gee said they hope to avoid moving the old, mismatched shelving into the new building.
With the holiday season underway, the library is offering several ways for residents to contribute:
- Make a donation in honor or memory of someone.
- Buy tickets for the Friends of the Library gift basket raffle through Dec. 18.
- Participate in the “Giving Tree,” with gifts of $50–$1,000 recognized with an ornament displayed on the library’s Christmas tree.
- Donate a required minimum distribution (RMD) directly to the Carthage District Library Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which may offer tax benefits.
- Give online at www.carthagepubliclibrary.com/library-foundation.
Checks to the Carthage District Library Foundation may be mailed to 500 Wabash Ave., Carthage, IL 62321.
For more information, call (217) 357-3232 or email carthagelibrarydirector@gmail.com.