SLIPPERY ROCK — Residents here will soon have a spacious, modern library where they can borrow books and other materials, participate in a fun or educational program, or simply hang out.

Karen Pierce, director of the Slippery Rock Community Library in Slippery Rock Park, said fundraising for a new building began in 2005, when the library moved into its current 283-square-foot facility.

Since that time the nearly $1 million to erect a bigger building has been collected through fundraising events, grants and donations.

“We've been doing this since we moved into this spot. It hasn't happened overnight,” Pierce said. “Its been a long process.”

The new library, which will be constructed on two acres across the street and to the north of Slippery Rock Elementary School on North Main Street, will be more than eight times larger than the current facility, at almost 2,500 square feet.

Library officials broke ground for the building on Oct. 20 and grading is under way, Pierce said.

“We have the building permit too, and we're good to go,” she said.

The building could be ready to use in six months, but Pierce cautioned that a bad winter could slow things down.

“We would love to celebrate our birthday on June 5 at the new library,” she said.

The current library, which came into existence when the now defunct Bookmobile's services became insufficient for Slippery Rock's library needs, is much too small.

Pierce said on Tuesday morning she had seven children and five adults in the library for story time.

“One teen was registering for his SATs while I'm singing “The Wheels on the Bus” 12 inches away,” Pierce said. “What do I hope to offer in the new library? Space.”

She said the current library often becomes crowded as residents with no home printers come in to use of the facility's two computers.

“This is the only space that has printing capabilities in town,” Pierce said.

The current library has 6,000 volumes, which Pierce hopes to eventually double at the new library.

Regarding the fundraising effort during the past 13 years, Pierce said the public has been generous in many and varied ways.

She said a few donations over the years have been in the $25,000 to $35,000 range and a grant by two retired residents matched $100,000 every year for three years, provided the library raised $100,000 each year.

The library met that goal in each of the grant's three years. The grant ended in 2016.

Book sales, teas and other fundraisers plus various grants from foundations have also padded the library account in the last 13 years.

“It's taken more than a decade,” Pierce said of raising nearly $1 million.

She said one area businessman attended an auction at a Pittsburgh art school to get items for the library. She said he bought chairs, corkboard, shelving and other items at the auction.

Other patrons will buy a new book, read it and then donate it to the library for their book sale fundraiser.

“We definitely have a very, very generous community,” Pierce said.

The public feedback on the construction of a new library has been positive as well.

“Everyone is so excited,” she said.

Jan Forrest, president of the library's board of trustees, said the new library will be a one-story, aluminum sided building with an 800-square-foot patio on one end.

Forrest said the patio was built with a footer underneath so that it can be enclosed and allow future expansion at the library.

She said no furnishings, shelving or equipment have been bought because the library has amassed items over the past several years that are awaiting their fate in Pierce's basement, a donated storage locker and the homes of various trustees.

“We want to get into the building and see what we have,” Forrest said.

A fund for furnishings and equipment was recently started when a private individual offered the trustees a $15,000 matching grant, meaning the library must raise that amount to secure the grant.

“We are so fortunate,” Forrest said. “The library is growing.”

She is excited to walk into the spanking new library once it is completed.

“We have worked so hard for this and such a pleasure to see it come to fruition,” Forrest said, “but we couldn't have done it without the support of the community and the funding from local people.”