Plans to expand and update the DeKalb Public Library will go ahead as scheduled even with a budget cut.

The library received the green light for the $20 million expansion project at a March 26 City Council meeting. The original financing plan was scrapped due to concern about the high amount of funding needed from private donation. Only $2 million is now required to come from private donations, a drop from the originally planned $6 million.

“We’re going to put up an addition–about 40,000 square feet–and we have to bring part of our old building up to code,” said library board member Wendell Johnson.

The addition will include more meeting rooms, study areas, personal computers and an increase in the library’s collection of books. When the library gets new books,it is forced to get rid of some old books due to space constraints, Johnson said. This will change when the addition is finished.

“The library has gotten too small to meet the population needs,” said Second Ward Alderman Tom Teresinski. “The space addition is a critical piece.”

When the decision was made to cut the budget by $4 million, the plans to update the existing structure changed.

“The building is 80 years old,” Johnson said. “We won’t be making $4 million worth of updates, but the old building needs a lot of work.”

The major updates on the old structure will be adding heating and air conditioning to the existing building as well as having those amenities in the new building, said Mayor Kris Povlsen.

Teresinski said the library hasn’t been expaded in 30 years.

Teresinski said the library will do three major things to the existing structure: fixing the roof, adding air conditioning and upgrading the primary electric supply for things like new computers.

“The single most important thing is to have the ability for access to new technology, like computers,” Povlsen said. “Technology has become vital to the learning process.”

Funding for the expansion comes from donors, the state and tax payers. Povlsen said it’s great the financial burden doesn’t fall on any one person.

Not everyone agreed with the way the expansion will be funded. When the library expansion project was put to a vote at the City Council meeting, seven council members approved the project while First Ward Alderman David Jacobson dissented.

“I thought it was a beneficial project for the community,” Jacobson said. “I was a bit upset about how we decided to fund it.”

Jacobson said he wished the funding was put to a referendum to make sure the public is behind the plan.

“While there is a need, we could have done it much more economically for the taxpayer,” Jacobson said.

Teresinski expressed excitement over the funding from the state.

“I think the great news is the state is providing $8.5 million and only a handful of communities got that, so I think that is great,” Teresinski said.