NORTH MUSKEGON, Mich. -- An anonymous donor surprised the North Muskegon community by donating more than $92,000 to the Muskegon Area District Library to expand its Walker branch.
"[The donor is] an avid library lover and user of libraries all over Muskegon," said Brenda Hall, MADL finance director who told FOX 17 that their libraries are being used more than ever, including their circulation being at an all-time high.
The donation came as a surprise to library and North Muskegon officials including Hall who said they are "absolutely flabbergasted, overjoyed, thankful. It was out of this world. I mean we’ve never had a donation that large.”
Those who run the Walker branch say it's time to make room for more work space and modernize the building open since 1969.
"We usually have to have our story times in this little space," said Dawn Chorak, Walker branch library assistant as she toured the space with FOX 17. "When you get 50 parents and their kids in here, it’s very crowded.”
According to North Muskegon City Manager Sam Janson, their library task force has discussed expansion for years because it's at capacity. However, a former idea to rebuild and relocate the Walker branch is unlikely Janson says, which was estimated to cost $5 million.
“This is definitely a foundation in the community," said Janson. "It’s right next to our school K through 12 and once three o’clock hits, kids flood out of that building and into the library."
Janson says there are no finite blue prints to share at this point as the community is still in its brainstorming stage, though they are focused on modernizing the current building. He says this donation will "fast track" their progress.
“Our brainstorm session right now has been around modernizing the space inside the library, moving away from a library model maybe of 50 or 60 years ago," he said, "and having more work space, more computer space, more community space in that area for gathering, for children to interact, and have a safe space to be.”
