The new Galesburg Public Library will be equipped with a nearly $1 million community room through the assistance of a matching grant program coordinated by the Galesburg Community Foundation.
The 3,722 square foot room will be located on the first floor in the southeast corner of the new library under construction on West Main Street in Galesburg.
Galesburg Public Library Director Noelle Thompson tells WGIL the new room will be able to accommodate up to 500 people standing and will be equipped with a serving kitchen, and the latest AV setup to facilitate quality performances and virtual meetings and presentations.
Because of the location of the new community room, it will be available by reservation outside of library hours, an amenity the library cannot offer currently.
“Our current meeting room is used for library programs; educational, cultural, and civic meetings; and programs of Galesburg non-profit organizations,” Thompson said. “With a larger facility, we expect to expand the use of the room, but the parameters or the room’s use and any associated charges have not yet been determined by the library board of trustees.”
Thompson said the cost of construction, furnishings, and technology in the community room is approximately $1,050,000. The entire is projected to cost $21.7 million.
According to the Galesburg Community Foundation, more than $1 million was raised for Galesburg’s new library through a match grant challenge by the Galesburg Community Foundation to the Galesburg Public Library Foundation.
“We wanted to give the library a tool that would allow them to connect with members of the community,” said Joshua D. Gibb, President and CEO of Galesburg Community Foundation. “We also wanted to give members of the community a chance to see what can happen when they give together. The Community Room was our chance to do both.
“The library is a place where everybody in our community can go. The library as an institution is important for Galesburg.”
The estimated opening date of the new library is February 2024.
The community can still get involved in the library project. Funding opportunities include the archives and genealogy section, the teen zone, bird-safe glass, and outdoor spaces.
