On Wednesday, May 8, 2013, Wood Library broke ground on a planned $1.7 million building addition. This ground breaking was made possible by the successful conclusion of the library’s first major capital fundraising effort in over 40 years.

On Wednesday, May 8, 2013, Wood Library will break ground on a planned $1.7 million building addition. This ground breaking is made possible by the successful conclusion of the library’s first major capital fundraising effort in over 40 years. The groundbreaking ceremony will start at 9:30AM at the library’s west entrance. Please join us for this exciting

Wood Library kicked off its New Chapter Capital Campaign in 2008. The objective was to raise the necessary funds to redesign and renovate the library’s historic building and create additional space for its services and programs. The project’s first phase, an extensive $2.1 million renovation, was completed in May 2011. The campaign’s second phase, a $1.7 million building addition, will accomplish several goals—

1. Install a new, more accessible and ADA-compliant elevator.
2. Expand the Bill Rayburn Children’s Library to add space for collections, computer workstations, comfortable seating for families, and a desk for the Children’s Librarian.
3. Build a new multi-purpose ground-floor meeting room and kitchenette.
4. Add a new, more accessible area for the library’s popular materials collections.
5. Add workspace for library staff.
6. Create a new check-out area and lobby that will feature a welcome desk, a self check-out station, and comfortable seating.
7. Add a college-readiness reference collection and collaborative workspace in the Teen Scene.

With the recent announcement of a $50,000 matching gift from long-time library supporter Bill Rayburn, two new $50,000 anonymous donations, and additional gifts raised during our recent push to raise the final $175,000 needed to start construction, we have raised the necessary funds for the library’s planned building addition. These gifts, along with donations, bequests, and pledge commitments from hundreds of other individuals and area businesses, make up about 85% of our fundraising goal, with the remaining needed funds coming from grants from the NYS Library Construction Program, the NYS Dormitory Authority, and a NYS legislative grant. No local tax dollars have been or will be used to fund either the renovation or new addition phases of the project. Thanks to these donations and grants, we are able to offer the community an updated and expanded facility without taking on debt.

Thank you to all those who gave to the Capital Campaign! You helped make this next building phase possible. And, for those who still wish to give, it’s not too late! The library will continue to welcome new donations through this calendar year.

- Jenny Goodemote, Director

In an effort to provide the highest level of customer satisfaction, Wood Library welcomes your comments and suggestions in person or in our Digital Suggestion Box. Take a second to let us know how we’re doing.

Where was I on Monday, February 18 at 3:00pm? I was in Buffalo enjoying the company of my brother and sister-in-law when I received the frantic phone call from a staff member. I could barely make out her words over the high-pitch alarm and what sounded like a heavy rain storm. My heart sank. I felt helpless. I jumped in my car and
returned to Canandaigua as quickly as possible fearing the worst.

When I arrived, the parking lot was full of fire trucks, work trucks, cars, debris and water. The damage was substantial. A sprinkler pipe had burst above the fiction collection on the main floor damaging 3700 books. The water had also found a way to the Children’s Library through light fixtures and other crevices. However, what impressed me the most was not the damage, but the team that came together.

Everyone scattered inside the building – firemen, electricians, plumbers, trustees, and staff – were hard at work doing whatever was needed to alleviate the situation. Water was squeegeed out the back, the burst pipe was repaired, power was restored, fans were set up, and soaked books were plucked off the shelves and boxed to be frozen. Everyone there that night went above and beyond the call of duty to help their library in its time of need.  Wood Library was only closed for three days. In a few weeks, you will see books occupying the fiction shelves once again and any signs of a flood will be gone. What will last is the comfort in knowing that when the library was in trouble, people came ready to help.

A special thank you to the Canandaigua City Fire Department for responding so swiftly. Further damage was prevented because of your professionally trained team of firefighters and their quick actions. We are so fortunate to have a fire station of your caliber in our city.

- Jenny Goodemote, Director

WOOD LIBRARY CONTINUES TO EXPAND SERVICES THIS WEEKEND
Canandaigua library will offer limited services until further notice

Wood Library will be open regular hours to the public on Saturday, February 23 and Sunday, February 24 on a limited basis after sustaining water damage from a burst sprinkler system pipe earlier this week. The public library, located at 134 N Main St, Canandaigua, NY, is open: M-Th 10AM-9PM, Fri 10AM-5PM, Sat 10AM-5PM, and Sun Noon-4PM.

Patrons will be able to visit the library’s Ground and 2nd floors, including the Bill Rayburn Children’s Library and the artwork currently on display in the Ewing Family Community Room.

The library’s Main floor will be partially open to the public. Patrons will be able to access the following collections: Non-Fiction, Reference, Local History, Young Adult, Mystery, Western, Inspirational, newspapers and magazines. Public computers, the copier machine, the public printer or the fax machine will also be available. The fiction collection, biographies, and large print, which sustained the most damage, will not be accessible by the public.

Please be advised that the library will be able to check out materials from some of our collections but not all.

The following programs have been postponed: Make a Heart Pendant class, Creature Feature. People should check the library’s website for the latest information about upcoming programs and activities: www.woodlibrary.org.

Library patrons should anticipate longer waits at the check-out desk and for items placed on hold as library staff works through a backlog of requests for materials.

In addition, because portions of the Adult Fiction and Children’s collections were damaged and are currently unavailable, patrons may have to wait for these materials to become available through partnerships with other libraries.

Library staff are developing a plan to repair and restore all affected areas of the facility. Some of this work will take place during regular library hours and may occur over several weeks.

Wood Library is a full-service public library chartered to serve everyone who lives in the Cananadaigua City School District. For the latest information about library services and programs, call 585-394-1381 or go to www.woodlibrary.org.