The new Dorothy Bramlage Public Library Foundation has been registered with the office of the Kansas Secretary of State as a new business entity.

Work on the filings with the Internal Revenue Service to recognize the foundation as a nonprofit entity is also under way.

Susan Moyer, Library Director, explained there is a two-fold purpose. “One is to provide an ongoing source of support for the library and the programs, resources and services that we offer, which I think is pretty typical of an organization such as this. But also we are investigating ways that we can try to raise funds to help with a library building project.”

On the library building different options are under study. “We have been looking at actually being able to renovate the existing facility and have working with an architect.” Moyer noted they have been considering an expansion of the current facility from approximately 14,000 square feet up to 26,000 square feet. The cost estimate is between five and six million dollars. “But in the course of this we were also asked to look into what the cost might if we just completely built a new facility. So we did that with the same architect. They came up with a draft concept for a new building that I believe at about 28,000 square feet.” The cost estimate for a new facility would be closer to seven million dollars.

At this point no final decisions on the building project have been made.

The foundation is led by a board of directors that includes Sally Jardine as President, Linda Hoeffner as Vice-President, Michelle Custer as Treasurer, Vic Davis as Secretary, Carolyn Cook, John Majerus and Scott Stuckey. The next meeting of the board is scheduled for Thursday, october 13 at 5 p.m. in the library meeting room.