JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Just a few years removed from renovations at the Alfred Dickey Library, the James River Valley Library System (JRVLS) will now shift their focus to the Stutsman County Library and finding more space.

Library Director Joe Rector says at this time, with both the recently renovated Alfred Dickey Library and Stutsman County Library, they’ve maximized their use of their space.

Rector says in 2019 after renovations at Alfred Dickey, they saw an increase of 1,000 more event attendees coming through their doors. He says they would love to continue growing this number, but they’re limited to the space they have.

Rector says they would begin fundraisers and planning in order to ultimately move from the current Stutsman County Library location. He added that there are a few options the JRVLS could take including further expanding Alfred Dickey Library or locating property elsewhere that would be more visible, have more space and parking, is affordable, and has easy access. He says based on price of property or building cost, they would look at a timeline of 2 to 3 years to purchase property or 10 to 15 years for possible construction.

Rector says if they built in a new location, it would then become their primary branch.

The library would rely heavily on fundraising and save money from the library budget, earning interest over time while also seeking grants such as the USDA low interest grant program.

Rector says they will keep the city, county, and public informed as they work on their business plan and more moving forward.