Onalaskans have the opportunity to become a permanent part of the Onalaska Public Library’s history. As construction for the library addition begins, citizens can sign boards that will be permanently installed as part of the structure.

The signing of the boards is a fundraising activity sponsored by the Friends of the Onalaska Library. Adults who donate at least $1 can sign and children donating at least 50 cents can sign and be a part of the building.

“We especially want the young folks to come down and sign their names to the board since we are getting a new expanded youth area,” said Friends of the Library past President Larry Pohja. “The Friends of the Onalaska Library invites all patrons of the library to come in and put your ‘John Henry’ on the board, which will help us to purchase items that will need to be purchased which were not in the budget for this expansion.”

Library supporters also can sign a hard hat, a paper cutout that will be mounted on the wall of the library during construction. The boards are temporarily set up at the circulation desk.

Katewin Peterson, the library manager, said the signed boards will be put up on the temporary wall in the children’s center before being placed in the permanent part of the structure.