We did it! Thank you to everyone who donated during the New Williams Library Fundraising Drive.

Thanks to a generous $70,000 matching gift from Southern Oregon Sanitation and other local donors, every dollar the community raised was matched!

The NEw williams library fundraising drive is a project to raise $135,000 still needed to build a new Williams library. Monies raised will be used to provide a much-needed restroom and running water for the library, expanded books and materials, updated technology including broadband Internet, a designated children’s area, and 1,000 square feet of library use at the Williams branch of Josephine Community Library District.

We know our community loves its libraries!

The many services and programs hosted at our library branches are highly popular with community members of all ages. But from the heavy use, as well as the sheer age, the buildings are just about worn out. The Williams library was built in 1977 as a temporary mobile unit. It has no running water and no bathroom.

The new Williams library facility will include running water, a restroom, expanded books and other materials, updated technology including broadband Internet, a designated children’s area, and a 1,000 square feet of library use.

Improving our facilities is critical to the ongoing and future success of the libraries in our community. The district and foundation have established facilities improvement as a top priority.

With the formation of the Josephine Community Library District in May 2017, community members from various quarters turned their attention to the state of the existing library buildings. The library district partnered with the library foundation to create a Facilities Master Plan that would demonstrate what it would take to solve these library building problems in the most cost-effective manner possible. In developing this plan, professional library planners conducted public meetings in Grants Pass, Illinois Valley, and Williams to learn from residents what they want and need from their libraries and for their communities.

Current Updates

We are applying for permits now. A general contractor will be selected in October and the groundbreaking is scheduled for November.

The project will be completed next year with a ribbon cutting by June 2023—one year from now!

Keep checking back for updates on this exciting project — stay tuned! Be sure to follow our Facebook page for updates too.

Partners and Funding

The New Williams Library is projected to cost $825,000 for engineering, construction, and furniture, fixtures, and equipment. The foundation has raised $690,000 from previous donations, grants, and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding that was designated to the foundation by State Representative Lily Morgan.

We still need to raise $135,000. Throughout the month of June, all funds raised will be used to provide running water, a restroom, expanded books and other materials, updated technology including broadband Internet, a designated children’s area, and a 1,000 square feet of library use.

The purchase of property for the new Williams library was made possible using proceeds from the sale of a donated property in Williams. Additional grants from the Four Way Community Foundation and a library trust will help pay for ADA-parking at the new location to support the project.