Thursday, June 15, 2023
Isaac Nielsen | McCook Gazette
McCOOK, Neb. - It’s been nearly three years since former senator Ben Nelson made a $500,000 donation to kickstart the Birdella Nelson Technology Center in the McCook Public Library, and the project is growing bigger than ever.
The Birdella Nelson Endowment for the library was started in honor of Ben Nelson’s mother, Birdella, with the vision of “providing additional opportunities to the community, with an emphasis on local youth and access to technology through new equipment and programming,” says the McCook Community Foundation Fund (MCFF) in partnership with the McCook Public Library. The endowment enhances the library’s offerings in a time where technology is always being upgraded.
The fund works as a use-it-or-lose-it cash flow, where the library receives a sum in the range of $30,000 every year to use on technological improvements.
According to Birdella Nelson Technology Center chairman Sean Wolfe, as of the most recent meeting with the Library Account Board, several different items had recently been purchased for the Center, including electrical system upgrades in order to support the other equipment, a printer and computers for microfilm, a scanner computer, a CD player, a laminator, multiple Walkmans, a button maker, and a digital camera. “Most of the remaining funds for this distribution year are budgeted to support the purchase of a 3D printer,” Wolfe said.
The improvements being made will have a long-term impact, said Andy Long, who was executive director of the McCook Economic Development Corp. when the donation was received.
“This will benefit McCook and the library for generations. It’s not a one-time thing. It’s forever.”
The MCFF and McCook Public Library emphasize that ideas regarding the Technology Center are more than welcome, and feedback may be submitted to the library.
As the library and Endowment depend on community investment to be successful, contributions may be made to the McCook Library Foundation at 802 Norris Avenue in McCook, while donations for the Endowment fund may be mailed to the MCFF at PO Box 525 in McCook, or online at the Nebraska Community Foundation website.
