On Monday Carol Kern, director of the Western Pocono Community Library, extended a "Burn the Mortgage" challenge to the West End community.

"Today we have been given a challenge to complete the balance of mortgage payments in time to celebrate the 40th anniversary of our founding on Sept. 17. On that date, we will still have $70,000 remaining to be paid. But a generous donor has offered to match dollar for dollar every contribution made to the library for the purpose of satisfying the mortgage this year," Kern said at a news conference held at noon Monday, at the library.She explained that to meet that goal, the library has to raise $35,000 between now and Sept. 17. To date, almost $11,000 has been made in contributions, with $24,000 needed to complete the challenge.At the end of Kern's statement, state Rep. Mario Scavello, 176th Legislative District, gave a personal donation of $1,000. Dr. Karin-Susan Breitlauch presented Kern with a $1,000 donation from the West End Rotary Club. The donation was the proceeds from the club's Octoberfest/Car Show.The Rotary meets at the library every Thursday at 7:30 a.m. in its community room."The library is an amazing community learning center. I encourage other organizations to also donate to it," said Breitlauch.The amount needed is now $22,000.In 1974, the library began in a 300-square-foot room at Zion United Lutheran Church in Brodheadsville. It expanded to a 3,000- square-foot building on Route 209/Bond Lane and was there for 25 years. It met the needs of a fast-growing and diversified community.In 1995, the library's board of trustees saw a need for a larger facility.Through the years' fundraising efforts, the proceeds had been placed in CDs, enabling the board to purchase property on Pilgrim Way.Contributions from a supportive public, some vital assistance from the State Library of Pennsylvania, a $3.1 million, 30,000- square-foot state of the art community library and center was built and completed in 2000.The library received $1.8 million in private donations. The remaining amount was a 15-year, $1.3 million mortgage from First Northern Bank and Trust.Now, with only $22,000 to go, an end is in sight and Kern thinks this will be a huge plus for the library as state funding to libraries across Pennsylvania keeps getting less and less."When our mortgage is realized, that monthly payment of $8,000 will go directly toward the daily operating expenses. We will be able to hire more staff and offer more programs to the community," she said.In addition to loaning out books, the library provides these services: free access to computers; literacy and GED prep classes; children's story time and children reading to therapy dogs; a teen theater group; Penn State Extension's Strong Women strength training program for women; yoga stretch exercise classes; Saturday movies; weekly blood drives; monthly book club; young adult programs; and a community room for organizations to meet.The recently renovated downstairs has new composite flooring that makes an ideal indoor walking track and a dropped ceiling better for acoustics.The library is hoping this will entice organizations to want to rent out the room for events. It's even hoping to have a kitchen area so meals can be catered."We're always looking at ways to help offset our costs," said Kern.But until then, she's hoping the West End community will once again do what it does best offer support. Kern is confident that by Sept. 17 there will be a "Burn the Mortgage" event.If you would like to be a part of this challenge, send your donations to Western Pocono Community Library, 131 Pilgrim Way, PO Box 318, Brodheadsville, PA 18322-0318 or call 570-992-7934 or email

wpcl@ptd.net.Visit its website at

www.wpcl.lib.pa.us/