Rural Library Project Opens in GA
By Lynn Blumenstein -- Library Journal, 6/1/2008
The small town of Whitesburg, GA, now has a public library, thanks in part to the Rural Library Project (RLP), which provided advice and an affordable, sustainable building plan. RLP founder and executive director Dan White, whose background is in real estate development and construction, began the organization after helping the Yatesville Public Library, GA, open in 2002.
The 3000 square foot building template features a low-cost ($77/square foot for Whitesburg), energy-efficient design that relies on passive solar energy. The free “kit” White developed not only explains the building plan but helps small communities organize, gain financial assistance, and obtain equipment. Raising money in small communities is easier than people may think, says White. They often have networks already in place to reach their constituencies.
He suggests that communities secure a U.S. Department of Agriculture Facility Loan, which charges four to five percent interest over 30 years. A mortgage can cost less than $1000 a month. The Whitesburg project, which began in 2002, cost $250,000. The 600-person town gave the library $100,000 in sales tax revenues; the rest came from fundraisers and secured grants. The library, staffed with volunteers, opened with 3000 books and six high-speed computers; it's part of the Georgia PINES network. Several other RLP projects are under way.
