Preserving Nora’s Legacy

Our library received another boost in February when we were awarded a $90,000 Heritage Trust Fund (HTF) Grant from the Kansas Historical Society! This grant will help cover the cost of fixing the foundation and front door which means the individual contributions will go even further toward preserving Nora’s legacy! Now we can address other areas of concern, including window repairs and electrical updates. Please be assured that all monies raised will go toward restoring and maintaining this beautiful building.

We had planned a start date in May. With the award of the HTF grant, this has been delayed a bit. This is due to the HTF requirement that a formal bidding process for the project be completed. Although this can be time-consuming, it will assure that the project costs are reasonable and competitive. This process has now been started and will be overseen by the grant committee and Library Board. The Kansas Historical Society will also lend its expertise in providing review and consultation for repairs and restoration.

Some of you may be wondering why we aren’t working on other projects first. With some projects, you can work on separate pieces simultaneously; unfortunately Nora’s foundation has to be fixed before we can start most of the other restoration work. Addressing the electrical updates and window needs will follow as soon as it is safe and reasonable to do so.

Progress will continue to be posted on Facebook (Larabee Library and Preserving Nora’s Legacy) and here.

Anyone who is interested in donating to this restoration fund for future projects may contact the library or make an online donation by accessing the PayPal button on this page. Donors of $100 or more will receive recognition on the Wall of Giving.

It’s a wonderful thing to consider that we now have the dollars to match the dreams of restoring this legacy library!