WAMEGO, Kan. (KSNT) – The Wamego Public Library is looking to expand the overall size of the building by nearly 80%, but they need the help of the community.

The library’s goal is to raise $200,000 and it said it hopes the community will take a pledge to help make this project become a reality. It has already managed to hit $120,000 since March.

The idea has been in the works for the past 8 years. Numbers have been up since then and especially since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. This year alone, they’ve seen over 40,000 visitors and have had 53,000 thousand items checked out.

The idea for a public library in Wamego began forming back in 1937, and nearly 100 years later organizers and management believe the community needs this expansion now more than ever.

“We feel really pleased that we’ve been able to support the community and their needs for the library–Even through the shutdown and all of the different challenges that COVID has brought,” said the director of the library Darci Hildebrand.

The floor plan has already been designed and the library already has an architect picked out. Now that there is a higher need for technology, it hopes to double the number of computer access stations. The library also plans on increasing the size of the children’s section by 50% by moving it to the main floor.

For more information about the history of the library and how you can take the pledge to support the expansion, click here.