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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

October 16, 2008 Jennifer Roberts, 441-3295

Doug Walker, 660-6531

Josephine County to Help Group Reopen the Libraries

Grants Pass, October 16, 2008-Jubilant supporters of the private, nonprofit Josephine Community Libraries celebrated yesterday as the Josephine Board of County Commissioners approved a motion to reinstate a one-time, matching-fund grant capped at $300,000. The grant had been approved in the fall of 2007, but the budget committee later reduced the amount to $100,000.

The group, which has already raised more than $230,000, has until November 30, 2008, to reach the full $300,000. Whatever Josephine Community Libraries has raised on that day will be matched by the county, contingent upon approval of a viable three- to five-year business plan.

“Today’s developments are very encouraging,” noted board member David Mannix, member of the negotiating team for Josephine Community Libraries. “The support of the board of commissioners is key to a successful partnership, and with today’s actions, Commissioners Ellis and Toler have shown that they value the role of a library in a healthy community.”

With this news, and promises of a signed Memorandum of Understanding to follow, Josephine Community Libraries can forge ahead with its goal of reopening the main branch of the library by the end of December 2008. Commissioners Ellis and Toler indicated that they would like to have the library open by the holidays as a gift to the people of Josephine County.

“We wholeheartedly support that,” agreed Doug Walker, president of the Board of Directors of Josephine Community Libraries. “We’ve been telling our membership for quite some time that we want to open by the end of the year.”

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Josephine Community Libraries, page 2

The group is now stepping up efforts for a membership and fundraising push to culminate November 30. “People who become members, and businesses that step up as corporate sponsors, can see their contribution doubled through this matching grant from the county,” noted Walker. “Add to this the fact that memberships can be purchased for holiday gift-giving and for end-of-year tax planning, and you see that the timing is ideal.” Walker added that if the community can raise the entire $300,000 to get the full amount of the match, this would mean a more up-to-date collection in the library and an earlier date for opening the other branches in the county.

People interested in getting involved with the library effort can send an e-mail to info@josephinelibrary.org. Those interested in becoming member can send their check or money order payable to “Josephine Community Libraries” to P.O. Box 1684, Grants Pass, OR 97528 or make a secure donation on the Web site, www.josephinelibrary.org. The libraries in Josephine County closed on May 17, 2007. In September 2007, committed community members formed Josephine Community Libraries, Inc., a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization dedicated to reopening and operating the libraries in Josephine County.

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Josephine Community Libraries, Inc.

P.O. Box 1684 Grants Pass, OR 97528

541-660-6531

info@josephinelibrary.org www.josephinelibrary.org