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41 °F 5 Day Forecast Tuesday, December 9, 2003 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | eSouthernOregon | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend December 1, 2003 Your Library Librarians’ assistance in time of sorrow inspired donation It was my privilege to attend the groundbreaking ceremonies for the new Eagle Point Branch of the Jackson County Library System on Nov. 20. One of the speakers was Carole Mercer, whose large donation in memory of her daughter purchased the site for the new building. With her permission, I’ve excerpted some of her remarks here: "When my daughter, Sarah Ann Mercer, age 19, was killed almost seven years ago, I lost my past, my present and my future. I became very depressed. I became agoraphobic. I could go almost nowhere. But I could go to the library. I asked for every book on death that I could find. I consumed them. The librarians helped me. They found more books. They listened to me while I wept. They wept with me. They didn’t really know me, but every one of them stepped forward and helped me. "One morning I accidentally came early to pick up some books. A group of people were meeting at the library. They asked me to join them. This was my first introduction to the Friends of the Library. The Friends of the Library became my friends during a critical time in my life. "Somehow in my depressed fog, I understood that Eagle Point needed a new library. Every community wanted to build a new library or at least expand the one they had. Slowly, and sometimes painfully, but surely a plan began to grow. "Sarah and I owned a rental house in Medford. Sarah was dead. I didn’t need two houses. I could give the house to the Eagle Point Friends of the Library and then we (notice here I use "we," I had become a Friend of the Library, I was no longer just "I") WE could buy the lot down the street for the new library. Advertisement "I wanted to raise a million dollars in Sarah’s name. I didn’t raise a million dollars for Sarah. Something much better happened. The entire community — every community, every voter got behind a huge ballot measure and raised $38 million to build 14 new libraries for Jackson County. "I was only a very small part of raising this money. I did not raise a million dollars for Sarah. We raised $38 million and are building 14 new libraries! I want to thank each person who helped build this library and every other library in Jackson County. "How wonderful with the turning of this earth we are building a new library rather than burying a life. I cannot turn a golden shovel of earth here. I want just a regular shovel. I am just a regular person, a regular person with incredible friends: The Friends of the Library." The new Eagle Point Branch Library is scheduled to open in Fall 2004. Sarah Ann Mercer’s portrait will hang in the library and her memory book will be on display. Meghan O’Flaherty is headquarters library manager for Jackson County Library Services. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times