Nebraska library still deciding how to spend $10k gift

COLUMBUS, Neb.— The Columbus Public Library is still in shock after receiving $10,000 from the Carnegie Corporation.

“Nobody really believed it until the Nebraska Library Commission sent out an email and said, "Hey, by the way, this is a real thing,” Columbus Public Library Director Jeri Hopkins said. “But I still didn't quite believe it until we just got the check last week.”

The Carnegie Corporation of New York was created in 1911 to support the advancement of learning, mostly focusing on libraries around the country, including many around Nebraska. 

This grant comes directly from the corporation with no conditions or expectations. The money can be used for whatever the library decides. 

“We're not going to use it for like staff development or anything like going to conferences or anything like that,” Hopkins said. “Definitely going to be something that's oriented towards the patrons or something more permanent towards the building.”

The library is keeping their options open, as they still can not use the money until it is budgeted in October. 

“Well, we have a brand new building, so we don't really need anything for like building wise, but we haven't really settled on things,” Hopkins said. “We have a few ideas. We'd like to do maybe some programming, something meaningful and substantive or maybe thinking towards the future, like with drones, because those are very popular. Or, you know, we don't have a fireplace, and most Carnegie libraries had a fireplace.”

A goal the library has for the grant is to honor the meaning behind the Carnegie Corporation.