SEQUIM — Instead of seeking a bond, a tax hike and a whole new building, the North Olympic Library System has opted to put $91,391 into cosmetic surgery.
During its monthly meeting on Thursday night, the library system’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously to contribute that amount toward the $388,340 needed for what’s being called a “face lift” for the Sequim library, plus some long-needed maintenance work.
And, fortunately for people in and around Sequim, the branch is also receiving nearly $300,000 in gifts from community members.
A woman who lived in Sequim for many years has left the library a bequest of $190,000, North Olympic Library System director Paula Barnes said Friday.
She declined to name the benefactor, but said she would provide more information in coming weeks.
The other face-lift funder is Friends of the Sequim Library, which will give $150,000 from its account, said Suzi Schmidt, the group’s president.
The Friends’ treasury has swelled over the past decade with income from used-book sales held behind the library on the second Saturday of each month.
