More funds sought for new library

Updated: Thursday, July 6, 2006 4:46 PM PDT

By Shel Segal, Fontana Herald News

With the building of the new 93,000-square-foot Fontana Library and Resource/Technology Center at 8473 Sierra Avenue well underway, city officials are exploring options on how to bridge the gap between how much money the city has and how much more it needs to complete the library by April of 2008.

Kathleen Fariss, city director of development, said the money is starting to come in from individuals, government sources and private organizations.

“We have raised more than $1.3 million,” Fariss said. “We have quite a few larger donors. Some are still considering how they would like to participate.”

Fariss added the amount raised is still well short of the city’s objective.

“The Fontana Library Foundation has a goal of raising $20 million,” she said. “We have brought on individual leaders from all over the region to come together to work on this project as it is a regional project.”

However, the city should have no problem reaching that figure, said KC Schumann, steering committee chair.

“I think it's very do-able,” said Schumann, who added the city is recruiting about 150 volunteers for the drive. “There’s nothing more important to the educational health of the community than a regional library that can meet their needs.”

Some of the major donors so far, Fariss said, are San Bernardino County 2nd District Supervisor Paul Biane; the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors; Rod Guge, a real estate broker with Coldwell Banker Foothill Properties; and the Cucamonga Valley
Water District.

However, Fariss said she is looking for donors from any area of the Inland Empire – or Southern California, for that matter.

"We welcome donors from any city, county or region to participate in this campaign because we are talking about the children,” Fariss said. “The resources that are available with that facility will allow them to educate themselves by opening a book and doing
research on the Internet.”

Those volunteers the city is looking for could have a variety of jobs with the Fontana Library Foundation, Fariss said. They could donate money, serve on committees, display information inside their own business or organization or even form their own
fundraising or other committee.

The donations will offset construction costs and enrich library services and resources, Fariss said.

The donations are most likely tax deductible, with donors being able to give over time.

In addition, fundraising efforts are slated to continue even after the library opens, Fariss said.

The city received $14.9 million from the state for construction of the library, but much more is needed because the total cost has risen to $45 million.

Once completed, the library will be the largest in the county system and the most state of the art technologically, Fariss said, much to the benefit of the region’s children and entire community.

“These children will eventually grow up and will be working members in this region,” Fariss said. “Together as a community, we’re helping these children to see that they will have a better future with education. They will have access to so many resources in that
facility from books, periodicals and the Internet.”

Like Schumann, Fariss said she is confident the city will meet its financial goal.

“The campaign will succeed because we’re inviting community members, school children and industry leaders to participate in this campaign in any way they can,” Fariss said.

Persons who are interested in watching the library being built can do so at the city’s web site, www.fontana.org. There are two webcams set up at the site that update every 15 minutes so that individuals can monitor the library’s construction.

PICTURED ABOVE IS AN AERIAL VIEW OF THE CONSTRUCTION
OF THE NEW LIBRARY. PHOTO BY SHEL SEGAL.