Off The Beaten Path

• Apr 28, 2008 4:05 pm US/Pacific
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  Off The Beaten Path: Library Reopens

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Off The Beaten Path: Library Reopens

PINE GROVE (CBS13) ― Almost everyday we tell you about another city or town with financial woes. But I say this little Amador County town has reached deep into its wallet for something it dearly loves.

Here's a sign we didn't expect to see. Consider this a personal triumph for the folks of Pine Grove. A year ago, the public library ran out of money, the librarian left and the doors shut.

Residents were saddened to see all these resources gathering dust. So local civic clubs, elected leaders and Amador County began looking for the bucks and manpower to again fund this library.

"It was a grassroots populist effort, they went to the county and said we want to do this and got it done," says Jim Jacobs.

Recently Jim Jacobs was hired as the new librarian to dust off this community assest.

"Access to books, magazines, videos, virtually any kind of material they are looking for, also the internet, a lot of rural people don't have computers, some of them don't even have electricity," explains Jim.

First in were Jade Strobach and Mike Lane looking for a book on a favorite rock artist.

"It interested me and there's a lot of stuff to learn from it. I like books that are filled with things like war and things that interest me. Like a good action character," says Mike.

Pine Grove is now linked to other county libraries, so books can be exchanged to fill customers requests.

This library currently has about 5,000 volumes but room for more.

Already well wishers have been donating books to fill the shelves. Cheryl Carswell stopped by. Before Pine Grover re-opened she had a long drive to the next closest library.

"For me it's a half hour, cause I live about 13 miles from here," says Cheryl.

Then Wally Crane dropped in.

"My computer is in the shop, I'm going to get all my mail out of the system before it's overloaded," says Wally.

So when you read that another town is on the edge of bankruptcy, think of Pine Grove and how its citizens have started a new chapter.

There's still not enough funding to staff the library more than a couple of days a week, but that's a start.

(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)