SUPPORT – The Grand Bahama Port Authority, Limited (GBPA) has made funds available to the library in excess of $250,000 to assist with mucking and gutting, renovation of the entire interior infrastructure, replacement of computer equipment, books and other supplies, as it recovers and rebuilds following the devastating flooding of Hurricane Dorian. (PHOTO COURTESY OF GBPA)
By Freeport News
Libraries are integral to communities the world over, and Grand Bahama’s Sir Charles Hayward Library is no exception.
The Grand Bahama Port Authority, Limited (GBPA) has made funds available to the library in excess of $250,000 to assist with mucking and gutting, renovation of the entire interior infrastructure, replacement of computer equipment, books and other supplies, as it recovers and rebuilds following the devastating flooding of Hurricane Dorian.
The library and its contents were severely damaged due to flooding. Floors and drywall needed to be torn out and replaced, computer and other technology equipment was destroyed, and about 8,000 books were lost.
Geneva Rutherford, Executive Director of the Sir Charles Hayward Library, shared the following thoughts: “We are so grateful to the GBPA for all they do for us and, by extension, the Freeport community. We simply wouldn’t exist without them. We’re also supported by a committed and engaged Board, and by some of our island’s largest businesses. We’re thankful for their partnership as well. With all of that support, we were able to begin restoration work in October last year. Until our closure on March 20th of this year, due to the COVID-19 Executive Order, we were making remarkable progress in restoring the Library.” Read more >>