As a celebratory milestone, a human chain will transfer the last 200 or so books from the old to the new Crozet Library on Tuesday, August 27. The chain will go from the depot, under the trestle, into The Square and down the alley to the front door of the new library building, said Bill Schrader, chair of the Build Crozet Library fundraising committee.
Volunteers are sought to join the chain. Schrader estimated that at least 150 people will be needed. Adults and children should start lining up at the old library at 10 a.m. Everyone is welcome. The book transfer is expected to start at 10:30. A group picture of those who form the chain will be taken in the new library parking lot once the transfer is complete. The rain date is August 28. The new library will be officially closed on the book brigade day, and patrons will not be allowed in.
The new library will open with the roughly 32,000 books in the current collection and an additional 6,000 new books that have been purchased through the BCL campaign. The new library will accommodate 75,000 books, Schrader said, and fundraising for more books will continue.
“We’re seeing a lot of $1,000 donations from people who want to be on the giving tree,” said Schrader. The deadline for donations to have a leaf on the tree when the new library holds its grand opening September 28, is August 16. So far 95 brass leaves have been bought. Each will have the donor’s name engraved on it. The giving tree, which will be on the entryway wall, will keep going after the opening, and new leaves will be attached every few months.
The current library will close August 24. The new library will have its “soft” opening September 4. There will be no library services between August 24 and September 4.
Book shelves are scheduled for delivery the week of August 12 and furniture will be delivered the week after.
The time of grand opening events on the 28th has not been set.
The efforts of the fundraising committee for the next year will be concentrated on raising monies for new books, Schrader said.
