By Kim McDarison

The staff at the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library, Whitewater, has announced that it will be hosting a “farewell reception” for departing library director Stacey Lunsford.

Lunsford announced her resignation as the library’s director in September, noting in a letter to City Manager John Weidl that her last day would be Friday, Nov. 24.

Within her resignation letter, Lunsford said serving the Whitewater community as its library director has been “a pleasure and a privilege,” further noting that she had accepted “a position in Minnesota.”

Information released by the library notes that the reception for Lunsford will be held in the library’s Community Room, Friday, Nov. 10, between 3 and 5 p.m.

The public is invited to attend.

The Irvin L. Young Memorial Library is located at 431 West Center St., Whitewater.

According to information shared on the city’s website, Lunsford has served as director of the Irvin L. Young Memorial Library since 2001. In that capacity, she has been responsible for overall administration of the library, its budget planning, administration and supervision of employees, collection development, technology planning, and has acted as a liaison with community groups including the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and the Whitewater Unified School District.

Lunsford has in recent years been involved with developing a $6 million renovation and addition project for the library.

A capital campaign fundraising initiative, with a project goal of $2.25 million, was reported, according to information released by the project’s Capital Campaign Committee last month, to be within $93,000 of reaching its goal.

The committee’s release further stated that funds raised through the capital campaign, combined with library reserves and proceeds from the sale of property, will match a commitment made to the project by the Whitewater Common Council of $3 million.

In December of 2021, the Whitewater Common Council approved a resolution stating its commitment to borrow $3 million for the project contingent upon the library board’s procurement of its half of the funds.

A “book-o-meter” in the library’s lobby will mark campaign progress until Oct. 30, when the campaign will officially close, Jon Kachel, a member of the Campaign Planning Committee, said within the release in September. 

Advancing plans call for construction of a 7,000-square-foot addition to the library, along with renovations to its existing space, which are anticipated to commence in 2024 or 2025.

An earlier story about the project, including an update given to the city council by Lunsford in August, is here: https://whitewaterwise.com/lunsford-to-council-library-is-166000-away-from-2-25-million-fundraising-goal/.