A recent donation to a fund that will bring a new library to Princeton and help bring new economic development to one of its major thoroughfares shows that generosity does not have to be stifled during a recession.
Two Princeton natives, E.G. “Ken” Kendrick Jr. and his brother Rick Kendrick made a major contribution to the Princeton Library Fund when they donated $250,000 to provide a computer lab, an up-to-date security system and up-to-date audio and video equipment to the library. When the new library opens, once the post office on Mercer Street, is completed, it could be one of the most technologically advanced libraries in West Virginia. The new computer lab alone will provide 20 public work stations.
The contribution was separate from the base amount of $4.1 million that the entire project will cost. However, the fund’s supporters have raised an impressive $3.8 million to date. That leaves approximately $300,000 to go. Donors such as the Hunnicutt family got the fund off to a good start.
Once the new public library is complete, it will become a cornerstone for new development along Mercer Street. At the far end of Mercer Street, the Princeton Railroad Museum and development near it will provide the other cornerstone of an effort to bring extra life into an important part of Princeton and Mercer County as a whole. The fact so much of the new library’s funds have come from the local level shows that local level economic development is possible. Residents who have not been able to contribute to the library fund so far still have the opportunity to play a role.
Not every donation has to be as large as the generous $250,000 contribution made recently by the Kendrick brothers. Even a donation of a few dollars will bring the fund closer to its $4.1 million goal.
Donations can even be made to help preserve the memory of loved ones. For example, the computer lab will be named in honor of Mrs. Woodlyn T. “Woodie” Kendrick, mother of Ken and Rick. A children’s room will be named after Princeton resident Martha T. Draper.
Connie Shumate, director of the Princeton Public Library, said that naming opportunities are still available for donors. Contributions that would pay for reading tables, chairs, shelves and other items of furniture needed by the library’s future patrons are still available at various costs.
Libraries are an important part of any community. With the continued generosity of residents who still live in the Princeton area and those who have moved to other parts of the country, the city will have a new facility that will help revitalize Mercer Street and provide important services for decades to come.
