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FARMINGON — The Farmington Public Library is seeking community help for an upgrade to the heating system, which must be done before the cold weather arrives.
The library was told last fall that the furnace had to be replaced before the next heating season, library Director Maurie Stockford said in a news release. Added to the issue is excessive heat in the summer that forces the library to close when temperatures become intolerable.
Stockford said structure absorbs the heat from the outside and releases it into the interior. It is not uncommon for the temperature to reach into the 90ss and stay there, even it is significantly cooler outside. She said that 175 to 250 people use the library every day.
Both the deteriorating furnace and the excessive heat in the summer require long-term, sustainable solutions. After weighing options, the library directors to decided to replace the furnace and install two heat pumps on the second floor, which will augment the heat in the winter and help with cooling in the summer.
The furnace replacement contract was awarded to Webster Heating, through a bid process, at a cost of $16,000. Directors are still pursuing bids for the heat pumps. The library must raise the money for both projects.
Library staff has applied for grants to help fund the project, including to the Tabitha and Stephen King Foundation and Gladys Brooks Foundation, but the awards will not be announced until later this year. The furnace must be replaced now, Stockman said. There is no guarantee that the library will win either grant, or that the grants would cover expenses.
The library is a publicly funded, not-for-profit, tax-exempt organization that gets most of its funding is from the town and the remainder from the library association’s endowment, along with donations from the public. Generally, the town covers the cost of staff wages and benefits, while the endowment covers building and maintenance.
The library is raising money to cover the cost of the project not covered by possible grants and to add to the endowment to cover building maintenance needs in the future.
“Donating to the campaign is an opportunity to improve the quality of life of every library patron for many years to come,” the release said. The Marshall family will double-match donations up to a community donation of $7,000. For example, a $100 would be matched with $200 from the Marshalls. The campaign could raise $21,000, which would cover the cost of the furnace and heat pumps if the grants were not awarded, and would be a substantial addition to the endowment if the grants were
Donations may be mailed to the library at 117 Academy St. Farmington, ME 04938, or made on the library’s gofundme page.
