SUSSEX COUNTY, Del.- Delaware Governor John Carney has $112 million from the American Rescue Plan going to community service organizations in the state.
He says a good chunk of that is going to libraries.
"We’re going to use forty million dollars of that money for projects from Selbyville to Georgetown to Rehoboth to Lewes to Harrington to Duck Creek to Newark to Wilmington," Carney said.
Three million dollars will be going to the Rehoboth Beach Public Library for upgrades. $750 thousand will be going to the Lewes Public Library for a new outdoor pavilion and $250 thousand will go to the Georgetown Public Library for updates to HVAC, filtration, and ventilation.
Seven million dollars of the federal money will go towards the new Selbyville Public Library which is going to be right next to the old one. The director saying its biggest perk will be the space.
In fact, the new building will be triple the size of the current one. Director Kelly Kline says the new building will have many uses.Â
"As a community center, we need to have spaces like that," Kline said. "So the people can congregate and gather and so that the library can provide services that are educational, recreational, and just places for the community to gather."
The library is looking for more donations to meet their $13 million goal. There is no clear timetable yet on when this new Selbyville Public library will be ready but this money is expected to expedite the process.
The first state’s libraries have had a long history. State Librarian Annie Norman says each one’s versatility with what it offers allows them to be successful even during the pandemic.
"We celebrated 120 years of library services to the communities," Norman said. "So we’ve been around a long time and we’ll continue to be and evolve with the times."
One dollar and one library at a time, communities all over the state will benefit from the upcoming improvements.
