The Silver City Rotary Auction and Benefit Gala to be held on October 7th in partnership with First American Bank will have as one of its beneficiaries the children's programs at the Gila Valley Library.

The Gila Valley Library is a small, rural library housed in a converted trailer on New Mexico 211 in Gila. It houses about 4,500 books and 1,500 DVDs and audio media. It is visited by more than 4,000 local residents annually.

The Library emphasizes children's programming and cooperates with the Cliff schools to complement their teaching. The Library staff often works with other organizations in developing programs for children as well as adults. In addition to cooperating with local schools, the Library has collaborated with such diverse individuals and organizations as the Silver City Library children's librarian, the Southwest Archaeological Society, the Albuquerque Children's Museum and the Silver City Clay Festival.

Space in the Library's current building is quite limited, with insufficient space even for tables and chairs to form a reading room for patrons. The reading and other programs for children not only take up valuable space but often involve enthusiastic participation by the kids, which can interfere with the use of the Library by adult patrons.

To alleviate the problem, the Library is planning to add a prefabricated 14' x 14' Gazebo of the kind shown in the accompanying photograph. The proceeds from the Rotary Auction will be used in the purchase of the Gazebo kit and in its construction. The Gazebo will initially serve for children's programming during the spring, summer and fall. Future plans call for it to be fully enclosed, so that it can also be available for use during inclement weather.

Many capable volunteers have already helped with improvements to the current library building, and they stand ready to help with the construction of the Gazebo. A member of the Rotary Club has volunteered any architectural services that might be needed in the completion of the project.

Members of the Gila Valley Library are working closely with the Rotary Club to insure the success of the Auction. Contributions from the Grant County community are most welcome and can take the form of sponsorship support or the donation of auction items.

Further information about the Auction and Benefit Gala can be found on the Rotary Club website at www.silvercityrotary.org or by calling the Rotary Club at 575-534-1135 or the Gila Valley Library at 575-535-4120.