Clyde Edgerton Lends Voice to Library Campaign's Goal: Raise $2.5 Million for Collection
North Carolina author promotes the Foundation's Ensuring Excellence Capital Campaign (photos)
November 7, 2007 — When North Carolina author Clyde Edgerton was a boy, he lived in the small rural town of Bethesda, North Carolina. He came from families of cotton and tobacco farmers and at an early age he gained an appreciation for small-town Southern dialogue and humor. Today, Edgerton is the author of several novels and the recipient of the North Carolina Award for Literature. He is also a fan of public libraries and lauds the important role they play in combating censorship and protecting the individual's right to read. "Libraries and librarians are essential in a democracy," said Edgerton. He added, "Librarians have been especially important to me and in my career as a writer."
Edgerton entertained a group of Chapel Hill Public Library supporters gathered at the Chapel Hill Museum on November 7th. He read from his forthcoming novel, The Bible Salesman, to be published in July, 2008. In addition, he played banjo and guitar music and recited poetry to the delight of the guests. Sterling Hennis, Professor Emeritus of English Education at UNC-Chapel Hill, introduced Edgerton and spoke of his relationship with the author when he was studying English at Carolina in the 1960's and then again in the 1970's.
Edgerton's program followed a presentation by Alex Lamis of Robert A.M. Stern Architects of New York and Ken Redfoot of Corley Redfoot Zack Architects of Chapel Hill. The architects shared design renderings for an expansion that will more than double the size of the current Chapel Hill Public Library. Groundbreaking is projected to be in October 2008, with a 16.5 month construction period.
The evening event, planned by co-chairs Melissa Cain, Leesie Guthridge and Keebe Fitch, celebrated the past, present and future of the Chapel Hill Public Library. In 2008, the Library will celebrate 50 years of service in Chapel Hill. The anniversary comes during the Chapel Hill Public Library Foundation's Ensuring Excellence Campaign.
The campaign aims to raise $2.5 million over the next five years to purchase 68,000 books and other items to fill an expanded library. The library's collection now has 165,000 items. Since the campaign began in 2006, over $225,000 in contributions and pledges have been made.
The Chapel Hill Public Library faces a particularly high demand from a growing community of avid readers. A 2003 master plan for the library estimated that it needed 4 collection items per resident. The library has only 2.6. The Chapel Hill Public Library circulates more items per capita than any other public library in North Carolina, nearly three times the state average. Each year the circulation of all library materials increases by almost 2 per cent. Within the past year, the circulation of children's materials increased by 3 per cent. Total circulation in 2006-2007 was 880,000 items.
"We need more books than a library would in a community where there's not such consistent and amazing demand," said Cain.
In 2003, Chapel Hill voters approved a $16.23 million bond referendum to expand the library. The new facility will have large and small public meeting rooms, a new teen area, a spacious children's section, and an enlarged adult reading area. It will be a wireless Internet environment with ample public access to computers and technology throughout the two-story building.
