Portola Valley group seeks donations to pay for library move Portola Valley group seeks donations to pay for library move (June 08, 2005)

** Library Friends answer Bill Lane's fundraising challenge.

By David Boyce

Almanac Staff Writer

A test of friendship is ahead for the group Friends of the Portola Valley Library as realities hit home on the cost of moving the library from its earthquake-fault-ridden location at Town Center to safer ground at Corte Madera School.

Preparing the two unused, adjacent classrooms to function as a library and moving in the shelving, books, and other materials will cost at least $100,000, said Councilman Steve Toben at the May 25 meeting of the Town Council. "It's a (budget) hit that we had not planned for," he said. "It's a significant hit."

At the meeting, resident and town benefactor Bill Lane offered to donate about $25,000 to the cost of relocating the library. The amount represents the interest earned on a $1 million gift to the Town Center redesign project made last year by Mr. Lane and his wife Jean.

From the audience at the Historic Schoolhouse, Mr. Lane challenged the Friends of the Library to match his donation. "I would hope that the Friends rise to the occasion," he said.

About six days later, in a May 31 statement, the Friends announced an emergency fundraising drive to help pay for the library relocation. The group is seeding the campaign with a $20,000 donation and is hoping to solicit a like amount from the Portola Valley community, said Friends co-president Lenora Ferro in the statement.

"The Town Council, (Portola Valley district) school board and administration, county library staff and many community members have been so helpful in finding temporary digs for our beloved library," said Ms. Ferro. "This challenge grant is our part."

At the meeting, Mr. Toben noted that Friends of the Library has a bank balance of $217,000.

"That's our endowment nest egg, which we have had for almost 40 years (and) that we have used quite wisely and frugally," said Ms. Ferro in an interview. Endowment income has paid for such library amenities as children's programs, books on tape and on CD, and computers for public use, she said.

The needs of the town's library are likely to grow with the new facility -- about double the size of the current one, she noted.

The town appears to have little or no money to spare for an unanticipated budget item of this type. The new library is part of a multi-year redesign of the buildings and playing-field complex at the 11.2-acre park-like Town Center.

At an estimated cost of $15 million, and with about $5 million set aside, the Town Council and community volunteers are in the early stages of exploring how to bridge the funding gap for the Town Center project.

For information on contributing to the library relocation fund, call the Friends at 851-2706 or send an e-mail message to folpv@saticoy.com.

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