The Jefferson Public Library recently released information from its several month study with a company to give direction on an expansion project.

Library Director Jane Millard says Amperage Marketing and Fundraising in Cedar Falls was hired to collect feedback for gauging public support not only for an expansion project, but also for any fundraising capabilities within the community. She tells Raccoon Valley Radio Amperage tested against the overall goal of a $10 million expansion project that was from an architectural feasibility study with Franks Design Group in 2022 for a 24,000 square foot addition. Millard points out that based on the results from 60 different people in the study, Amperage recommended moving forward with fundraising $3 million from private donations over a five year period for an expansion. 

“It may be that there’s a large difference there, and I understand that might be something of a concern. But basically, we just needed that information so we could move forward. So yes, we’re going to have to set some priorities and we’re going to have to go back to our original plan and think that through. But building that base for it is important.”

Millard explains the underlying message that everyone who has been involved with this entire process since the first facility needs assessment happened in 2018 and touring other libraries, to the recent direction that Amperage outlined.

“We just needed to know what the community support is and that’s the key piece of information that we needed. So I am encouraged that the public is in support of us at least moving forward and determining what we can do with the amount that we can raise. So our whole goal is to improve our community library.”  

Millard adds that Amperage also suggested some next steps to begin the fundraising stage which includes establishing an entity to receive larger gifts, identify grants to apply for, informing the public of developments and announcements, as well as enlisting or consulting with an architect to create a visual design of what the expansion may look like.