Long-time Library Board member Kenny Massey was selected to become the board’s president during Tuesday night’s meeting. 

“I’m excited, but yet kind of nervous about it,” Massey said. “Part of it is continuing the good work Eric (Magette) has done and to stay on that path, taking the time to glean the knowledge from him and get up to speed the best I can.”  

Now former president Eric Magette nominated Massey for the presidency as Magette said he is simply drained from last year’s failed new library proposal and other work he has done. Magette was selected to become vice president by the board.

“He has the experience,” Magette said. “He’s served on the board a long time. He was on the board when I came on seven years ago now, and was actually kind of a mentor to me.” 

Amy Jankowski and Tim Pringle will remain in their roles as treasurer and secretary, respectively. Mike Keltner, who was vice president, remains a member of the board as well. 

In other news, during December’s meeting, the board discussed a study by Mar Lan Construction that found it would cost upward of $2 million to update the current library building. 

Library Director Carol Wohlford said this study answered questions many in the community had about renovation costs. Wohlford said it is not feasible to update the current building.

“For another million, we could build a new building,” Wohlford said. “The two million is just fixing things like the walls that are coming apart and roofs and that kind of thing. It cost almost as much as the brand new building, and a brand new building would be two to three times the size of this one.” 

Magette said the library will have to be housed in a new facility if the town’s population grows with the arrival of the Panasonic plant. 

“For this library to grow, the future has to be a different facility in some way, shape or form,” Magette said. “We’re still in the process of seeing what that might be.” 

The board has not received an update from the ETC Institute about a community survey for residents to fill out, which aims to determine why the new library proposal failed the city vote. 

Magette said the board was hoping to have the survey out by now, but plans to contact ETC Institute about where they stand. 

In other business, Wohlford said the library’s planned children’s creative writing center received about $4,500 in funding from the Douglas County Community Foundation. Wohlford said the hope is the writing center will be ready for the library’s summer reading program. 

The library board’s next meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 21. 

Reach reporter Jack Denebeim at [email protected]