The Friends of the Sartell Library is a loosely-knit group of Sartell residents who are working to get a branch of the Great River Regional Library in Sartell, Minnesota.  If you'd like to help, you can contact us at the organization's e-mail address shown below, or attend one of our meetings.

In addition, you can contact Nancy Dyson-Powers (President) at 259-8155 or Karleen Nordquist (Vice-president) at 253-7691.

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And that includes project question 4, which provides for the possibility of using Local Option Sales Tax funds to build a GRRL branch here in Sartell.  

As hoped for, almost all the people who voted to renew the Local Option Sales Tax voted "yes" on all 4 project questions. 

And congratulations to the new Mayor, City Council members, and School Boards members as well. 

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Well, our job certainly isn't done.  While the residents of Sartell have voted to continue the City's Local Option Sales Tax participation, the project questions were worded very intentionally so as to allow the City Council as much flexibility as possible in determining exactly how the Sales Tax funds are spent.  Thus, the Friends of the Sartell Library group has to keep working so that should the maximum projected $24 million in Sales Tax funds not be realized, that at least some of the funds are spent in the "Question 4" category, and that at least some of the funds spent in the "Question 4" category are used for the purpose of building a branch library, which could include room for most, if not all, of the other activities and amenities also mentioned in the Question 4 category. 

It is hoped that the City Council can use the formal project proposal our group prepared and presented to them in October 2005 as a starting point for the planning of a branch library here in Sartell.  The Executive Summary and the full Project Proposal are readily available. 

In addition, since the GRRL plan we officers have seen only includes provision for one more branch library in the St. Cloud Metro area in the next 10 years or so, we here in Sartell have to operate on a timeline which effectively and efficiently accommodates that.   For example, we have been hearing more and more "rumblings" about a grass-roots movement in St. Joseph hoping to "snag" that Metro-area branch for that city.  We officers definitely don't want this to turn into a competition between Sartell and St. Joseph for a library, but we can't completely discount the possibility, as unfortunate as it would be.

Thus, again, our job is not done.  If you have any questions, just let one of us officers know.  We look forward to your continuing support.

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If you have any questions about the proposed library project and/or would like to be updated directly on our activities from time to time via our group’s e-mail distribution list, simply send a message to the e-mail address shown below.

Thank you for your support.