Eight years ago, it seemed like an impossible mission but determined individuals with a lot of friends found a way to give the city of Berryville a new library with all the space it needed. After three years of groundwork and exploring options that did not include using any local tax money, a solution was found. Exactly four years ago on April 1, a $5 million capital campaign was launched.
This year, in the bright sunshine of April Fool’s Day, ground was broken for the new library as friends and supporters flocked to the site located between Springfield and Simpson Sts. in Berryville.
Elaine Floyd, Friends of the Berryville Library President, was the first to address the sizable crowd, recounting some of the fundraising work that brought the day about, saying. “It was possible because we have friends.” She credited leadership and staff professionalism for “an amazing journey,” adding, “I’ve never seen anything like this in my life.”
Library Director Julie Hall and Fundraising Chair Tyler Squires also thanked a list of those community and business leaders who had been instrumental in bringing about the project’s success thus far. Joe Scott, Building Committee Chair, mentioned his pleasure that the project included a free and accessible public space of about 2,000 sq. ft. at the site.
The celebration closed with Squires and Scott manning the shovels on either end of eight past presidents of the Friends of the Berryville Library who got dirt on their hands, jeans, boots, shovels and faces.
The $3.5 million that has been raised will pay the complete construction cost of the new 10,000 sq. ft. building, about three times the space in the current library. Left to raise during the next year is about $2.6 million for shelving, furnishings and other incidentals.
Cautious projections for completion of the library building are estimated to be March 2026.