A group to help the Palmerton Area Library generate funds plans to meet in the spring.

Several representatives from the library spoke to the building’s renovation project, as well as fundraising strategies, at the Palmerton Chamber of Commerce luncheon Wednesday at Papa Al’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria.

Library director Christine DeSousa briefly touched on the large restoration project, and updated the masonry work.

DeSousa said phase 1 of the project, the portion of the west wall, has been completed and cost about $75,700.

Marian Hoffner, vice president of the library’s board of trustees, noted that the renovation project will be costly.

“It’s probably going to cost us $1 million when all is said and done,” Hoffner said.

Hoffner said the library has applied for two Local Share Assessment grants, one through the Monroe County Local Share Gaming grant, and the other a Statewide LSA grant.

In addition, Hoffner said the library is also looking to raise some money locally, as it isn’t just the building program it has to deal with, but also funding for the library in general.

“We do have a solid savings account, but we’re drawing from that every year just to meet our expenses,” she said. “We’re also looking for a better source of funding that we can count on a regular basis.

Hoffner added that along with looking to finance the building project, the library also wants to not only be able to maintain the services that it offers, but also increase them.

Dr. Debbie Miller, library board member, said they are in the preliminary stages of creating a visionary group to help raise funds for the library.

Miller said that together, the group of about 15 to 20 members, which would be comprised of leaders of their respective fields within the Palmerton Area School District, would help strategize ideas to help generate funds.

She said the group could meet by late March, early April to start gathering ideas.

In October, Palmerton Borough Council approved a resolution for a $1 million Statewide Local Share Assessment grant to be used for repairs to the library.

In September, Bowmanstown Borough Council approved a letter of support for the library for the grant.

Jack Wogenrich, treasurer for the library, told Palmerton Borough Council in August that the library started a restoration project that would continue for about a month, and asked council members to support grant applications for the project.

Wogenrich said there was damage to the interior of the building that stems from the outside masonry and parapet of the building, and that the library has been putting a “band-aid” on the problem for the last 8 to 10 years, spending about $100,000.

Wogenrich said the small project would cost about $75,700.

DeSousa said after August’s council meeting that as part of that work, the parapet top stone will be removed and a water diversion system installed that will channel the rain water from dripping down the parapet wall, to the roof membrane and then to the drain.

Also, the stones on the outside of the building would be cleaned and restored, plus the silicone joint compound would be removed and replaced with a sand based grout that will breathe and release water instead of sealing it in.

Wogenrich said the overall cost for the entire work is around $1 million.

DeSousa said the library will get the same work done across the whole building as it’s getting done now, then it will get the windows replaced on the addition; specifically the window on the south side of the building. From there, she said there will be painting, plaster and carpeting done.

DeSousa told council the library would do all of the legwork for filling out the applications.

Afterward, council in August made a pair of motions, both of which passed on 6-0 votes, with Councilman Kriss Hoffner abstaining because his wife works for the library.

The first motion was for council to support the library for a Keystone grant partnership, which was followed by a motion for the borough to support the library for a Local Share Assessment grant partnership.

Councilwoman Holly Hausman-Sell said at that time that they may be competing for an LSA grant, since the borough is looking to obtain one for its police station, and that council wanted to ensure the library would have a good shot at obtaining it.