April 18, 2007

Published in Wake Forest, NC

            That is the same day as Meet in the Street. If you are a member of the Friends of Wake Forest Public Library you can enter at 8:30 a.m. that day – or you can buy a membership for as little as $5. The regular sale begins at 9 a.m.

            The gray plastic collection tubs are in the following locations:

• SunTrust Bank at 353 S. White St.

• Fidelity Bank at 231 S. White St.

• Full Moon Italian Café at 2010 S. Main St.

• Harris Teeter at Heritage at 3638 Rogers Road

• Lowe’s Foods at 15524 Capital Blvd.

• Wake Tire and Service Center at 828 S. Main St.

• Northern Wake Senior Center at 235 E. Holding Ave.

• The Factory at 1839 S. Main St. (the tub is at the west entrance facing S. Main)

• Premiere’s Video at 12253 Capital Blvd. in the Market of Wake Forest

• State Employees Credit Union at 1116 Jenkins Road

• Kroger in Wakefield at 14460 New Falls of Neuse Road

• Wake Forest Federal Savings & Loan at 302 S. Brooks St.

• Food Lion at 12295 Capital Blvd. in the Market of Wake Forest

• Wake Forest Health Club at 2109 S. Main St.

• The Wake Weekly at 229 E. Owen Ave.

• Fidelity Bank at 12201 Capital Blvd.

• Stucchi’s at 525 Heritage Lake Road

* * * *

            An expansion of the Wake Forest Library is now the top priority project if the Wake County commissioners decide to place a library bond question on November’s ballot and if the voters approve the bonds, Yvonne Allen, the Wake Forest Library branch manager, said during Sunday’s annual meeting for the Friends of Wake Forest Library.

            The expansion will be at least 3,000 square feet and maybe as much as 5,000, Allen said. The library was built 11 years ago at 5,000 square feet. The expansion would be to the east toward Kiwanis Park. If the bond is successful, construction would probably be in 2009.

            An expanded library would call for a larger staff – four additional positions – and longer hours of operation, perhaps 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. during the week and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays.

             “We are one of the busiest,” Allen said, behind two others, one in Cary.

            The expansion in Wake Forest was based on the amount of use, the fact that the county owns the land on which it can expand, that the Friends are planning a donation for the library, and the money in trust for the library from H.L. Miller’s will.

            Also, Allen said, with the Northern Regional Center going up next door, the library to the west, the senior center and Carolina House across the street as well as housing projects in the area, “They see us as a community center.”

* * * *

            The Friends have pledged to pay for the chairs and tables – about $5,000 worth – for a young adult reading/listening center at the library. The furniture will be purchased in connection with a planned month-long renovation of the library later this year.

            During Sunday’s meeting, Mary Petretich, Paige Bivens and Laine Holleran were elected to the Friends board.          

* * * *

            The Wake Forest Library Book Club is open to all readers. It meets the fourth Thursday of the month at The Well on South White Street at 6:45 p.m.

            On April 26 the book will be “Captain Saturday” by Robert Inman.

* * * *

            The Friends are still selling book bags, $5 each, at the library. The money from the sale of the bags and from the used book sale will go to projects at the library.