THE  LIBRARY AND ITS FRIENDS
The Newsletter of
Friends of the Library
serving the
Alachua County Library District
Gainesville, FL

The Millhopper Branch Library has now reopened in its expanded and renovated building. This is a long-awaited milestone for the Library District, its supporters, and patrons.

On Thursday evening, February 25^th, Sol Hirsch, Library Director, greeted guests at a preview party, complete with delicious food donated by local restaurants. Then on the afternoon of February 26^th, the ribbon was cut with appropriate speeches and ceremony, and patrons poured past the smiling librarians into the new Library.

With an additional 8,500 square feet of space and every inch newly painted and carpeted, the $2.5 million project was funded through funds accumulated in a library fund set aside over the years for capital projects. That meant that the expansion could be done even in these sparse economic times. The new space includes a larger, more efficient check-out area and expanded space for processing books. The enlarged children’s area has a Snuggle Up and Read Center funded in part through a $25,000 donation from the Library Foundation. At the ribbon cutting, Marjorie Alexander presented the check on behalf of the Foundation. The children’s area is delightful, with an indoor tree and outdoor playground. Teens now have a new area furnished for them, complete with a Wii. Adults will enjoy the opening ceremony, Friends of the Library President Joan Curl announced that the Friends had donated $75,000 to upgrade the furnishings in the quiet reading room and will donate artwork in the future. Library patrons will enjoy this new space for years to come.