Rudd Library gifted computers for new facility

(ABC 6 News) – It has been several months since the EF1 tornado hit the town of Rudd, Iowa, and there is still a significant difference between before and after.

Most of the houses or other buildings deemed inhabitable have been removed completely; one even has a new foundation already in place. Not quite everything has been removed, but most of it has.

There are a couple of things likely coming soon to Rudd, and one of them is a brand new library.

“I’ve already wrote grants to several places, and we should hear back some time by the end of November or December if those grants were approved," Rudd Public Library director Shelly Sharp said.

They need about $700,000 worth of funding for the new building and are currently on pace to hit their goal by the time the grants are approved.

In the meantime, the library is located in city hall and is open 4 days a week. Once the new building is complete, they will have better and faster computers courtesy of the Lions Club chapter in northern Iowa.

Sharp mentioned that the old computers were much slower than what the new ones are expected to be, and says they will be very helpful to the new library.

"These computers will make a great addition to our new facility. We’re working with an architect. We have land; we have a plan," Sharp said.

As long as the grants are approved, Sharp is looking to start construction next year and is hoping the library is open at the latest by spring 2024.