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A new library in Hanover

Dear Friends

Things are really buzzing here at the library! This fall we are working with the town of Hanover to secure a Community Focus Fund grant to create a branch library in Hanover!

With this website, we want to tell you about our plans and describe how donations and letters of support between now and September 8 can contribute to this wonderful project!

From bank to library

There have been multiple attempts to create a Hanover branch in the past 25 years, but this is the best chance we have seen to make this a reality.

We are pursuing the opportunity of purchasing the former Madison Bank & Trust building on SR 56/62 in Hanover from MainSource Bank for $75,000 — roughly 20 percent of its appraised value.

Read a detailed history of creating a Hanover branch in our frequently asked questions.

Having extensively reviewed budgets and grant opportunities and determined a Hanover branch could be created without raising taxes, we are now working toward this goal and applying for grants.

At your Hanover branch

With the grant , we hope to remodel the existing building and to add space to help house a computer lab and children’s collection. Restrooms would be made handicapped accessible and we’d create a drive-through for pickup and drop-off of library materials. Commuters and parents with children in car seats will find this especially convenient.

The collection will have books, movies, music, magazines and newspapers. Computers will be available for research and leisure. Children’s programming and after-school activities will be offered and we hope to provide space for reading, visiting and even enjoying a cup of coffee or tea.

How you can help

The Community Focus Fund Grants are based on a point system. One important section in the system is points for local effort. Here’s how you can help add points to our application and make our project competitive.

Write a letter!
We have received many wonderful letters from residents and children who are excited about having a library close to their homes. Click this link and you too can write a letter of support!

Make a donation
Donations are extremely important in the grant process as they demonstrate the community’s solid commitment to supporting a branch library in Hanover. They not only add points to our application, but they will supplement the grant and make the branch project even better.

You can donate by credit or debit card on this website. You can also make contributions at our downtown Madison library, or by mail attention Charlene Abel, MJCPL, 420 W. Main St., Madison IN 47250.

The deadline for contributions to count toward the grant application is September 8.

We are committed to service in Hanover

The library is committed to establishing a branch library in Hanover. If our first grant request misses the cut, we will reapply in January. All local donations will be held in a special building fund. If we must do another grant round, these generous gifts will still be counted to add points to the local effort portion of the grant.

Thank You!

We thank you for your letters and gifts and want you to know that we will keep working to expand services throughout Jefferson County. This is a wonderful community and together we can make this happen!

Sincerely,
Charlene Abel
Director