When Lynn Dickerson was approached to spearhead a $3 million fundraising effort for the Modesto library renovation, she nearly turned down the request. 

“I first said no because I didn’t want such a big responsibility,” said Dickerson, a longtime champion of Modesto and the former CEO of the Gallo Center for the Arts. “I offered to find someone to chair.  In the end, Katy Menges agreed to co-chair if I would be the other half of the team.  So I did it.”

Menges, like Dickerson a community supporter and a fellow Texas native, said she owes her career in communications and the performing arts to the county library.

“I was one of those overly active, overly achieving kids and was determined to go to a top 20 theater school,” Menges said.

But her family couldn’t afford tuition and she didn’t know how to go about applying. “My high school library didn’t have any information for me so I went to the county library and a wonderful librarian helped me!”

Dickerson and Menges are heading up the Friends of the Modesto Library’s A Lifelong Legacy campaign, aimed at raising $3 million to augment a major remodeling project at the main branch of the Stanislaus County Library.

When the Modesto branch of the Stanislaus County Library opened in its current I Street location in November 1971, it was the latest in midcentury Modernist architecture, offering a much-expanded collection and new services.

But in 1971, Modesto had a population of roughly 61,000 people, and the services included phone calls to reference librarians, searching card catalogs or looking through a periodicals directory to request a microfiche of a magazine article.

More than 50 years later, the city’s population has more than tripled, and the services offered through the library have evolved as well. Outside of the story times, computer access and workshops, the library is a special place to build community.

“In many ways, this library serves as a cornerstone of our community … a place that has always brought people together,” Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors Chairman Mani Grewal said at this year’s State of the County address, held on the steps of the library. “This library’s history shows us what’s possible when we commit to building lasting places of growth for all.”

The library will close next year for an $18 million renovation. The money is coming from various public sources, including $4 million from Stanislaus County, a similar amount from the library, and a grant from the state of nearly $10 million.

The work is set to take place next year. The library is scheduled to close for the duration of the work; an auxiliary site, yet to be announced, will offer residents access to books and services. Residents also will be able to visit the library’s other branches in surrounding communities. 

The main work will include asbestos abatement; ADA corrections in the Children’s Story Time Room and public restrooms; ceiling tile replacement and LED lighting upgrade; improvements to HVAC system and elevator; security camera installation; upgraded wiring for IT; updated furnishings, fixtures (carpet, paint) and equipment.

Those changes are much-needed, and will provide a vast improvement to the experience of visiting the library. The campaign by the Friends is aimed at making additional improvements, such as upgraded furnishings and fixtures (in public areas, including the auditorium) and installation of audio-visual improvements to support programming and public service in multiple spaces. With a recent contribution of $500,000 by the city of Modesto, the campaign has raised $2.44 million of its $3 million goal.

Said Denise Nordell, president of the Friends of the Modesto Library, “We realize that many people who may seldom visit the library themselves nevertheless understand how important it is to have a vibrant library in the community.”

In the fiscal year 2022-23, the Modesto Library had 221,000 visitors. They checked out 460,000 books and materials. It also connected people to essential services and resources, such as wifi, for those unable to access it at home, helping them create resumes and look for employment. In that same year, 18,525 computer sessions were held.

The library also hosts workshops, story times and events for individuals and families. With the Capital Campaign, supporters hope to make the facility an even more welcoming environment, with a reimagined area for young children, upgrades to the McHenry Room auditorium, and even a gallery featuring the works of local artists.

The campaign is similar to a successful effort by the Friends of the Turlock Library, which raised $1 million in 2020 for furnishings, architectural enhancements and technology upgrades when that facility underwent its own major renovation.

It’s a labor of love for Dickerson, whose late son, Ryan, was a fixture at the Modesto library. 

“His very last night in Modesto was spent at the library volunteering for a Harry Potter event for younger kids on July 20, 2007,” Dickerson said. She, her husband Ron and their friends have funded a tree in the children’s library dedicated to Ryan.

“When Ron and I travel these days we often go into the library of the city we are visiting,” she said. “I think the quality of the library says a lot about the quality of the city.  That’s why we are working so hard to make sure our downtown library is of the same caliber as the Gallo Center and the (Modesto Children’s Museum) and the new Intermission (a newly opened cocktail lounge and community space next to the State Theatre).

“In a nutshell, I want the library to be something we can be proud of when it reopens,” Dickerson said. “Something that reflects positively on Modesto.” 

More information on the fundraising effort, including how to donate, is available on the Friends of the Modesto Library website at modestolibraryfriends.org/legacy. Donations may be sent to PO Box 4565 Modesto, CA 95352-4565.