The library is trying to find enough money to match a state grant that would
pay for the repair of a leaky roof. But the deadline is drawing near and
that’s where the foundation comes in.

     “We want to read the roof on at the library,” said TCFEE executive director
Mike Brumby. “We proclaim ourselves to be the Reading Capital of the World
and we can’t be that if we have soggy books.”

     Beginning Thursday and last until Thursday, Feb. 22, the foundation will
donate 50 cents per point for points accumulated on Accelerated Reader
tests. The offer is open to anyone, not just students, even if they have
never taken an AR test before.

     “The library needs and deserves help from the area. We want this to be a fun
thing, but we want to help them at the same time,” Brumby said. “The point
to all of this is getting people to read more books.”

     Sara Paulk, the head librarian at the public library, has made appeals for
funding during the last month to the Tifton City Council, the Tift County
Commission and the Tift County Board of Education.

      The cost for repairing the roof is $157,000. A state grant provides $78,500
in matching funds and the library’s contingency fund contains $65,000. That
leaves $13,500 that needs to be raised to obtain the matching grant.
All of the bodies the library has contacted have said they will consider
funding, though none have taken official action as yet. Brumby said he
believes the reading effort could help augment whatever is not contributed
from those bodies.

     “Since we reached one million points in November, we’re up somewhere around
1,100,000,” he said. “People are still reading and getting points. If we can
help the library while we’re using the library to do it, it’s all the
better.”

      Paulk said the idea was new to her, but she is open to receiving all the help
she can.

     “We’re putting buckets out now when it rains,” she said. “This is something
that really must be addressed.”

      “All 11 public schools and Tiftarea Academy are invited to participate,”
Brumby said. “When our goal is attained, all participants will be
recognized. We are the Reading Capital of the World and we are already being
called on to defend our title.”

     Brumby added that testing will take place each of the three Thursday nights
at the library from 5-8 p.m. Any contributions or comments can be made to
the Tift County Foundation of Educational Excellence, P.O. Box 714, Tifton,
Ga., 31793. More information about the Reading Capital of the World can be
seen at the website www.readingcapital.com.