NATCHEZ — Natchezians can help pay for a much-needed makeover of the outside of the George W. Armstrong Library and have their names permanently placed on the building for their contributions.

The library’s fundraising arm, the Friends of the Library, is asking community members and organizations to adopt 44 shutters that need to be repaired or replaced for $100 each or pledge $25, which will buy one of 40 cans of paint for the library’s painting needs.

Donors can choose which shutter they wish to adopt and can choose to have their names placed on the shutter.

Library Director Susan Cassagne said the Friends of the Library have committed to raising the funds necessary for exterior work on the library. Cassagne said she estimates the work will cost approximately $22,000-$28,000, based on an estimate of approximately $18,000 that was done in 2007.

The exterior work is the last portion of a wide scope of repair work at the library that has been ongoing for the past few years.

The library’s heating and cooling system recently received a major overhaul totaling approximately $206,600. The repairs were paid for by a $162,700 grant from the Mississippi Development Authority’s Community Block Development Grant Program, the Natchez Board of Aldermen, Adams County Board of Supervisors and the library.

Two dormers on the library’s roof were peeled back when Hurricane Gustav hit in 2008, causing water to pour into the library.

The roof was repaired six months after the hurricane, and carpeting was replaced in 2010. Insurance covered the cost of repairs totaling $70,028, including $24,967 for the carpet. The library also paid an additional approximately $9,000 for the repairs.

Cassagne said she hopes the exterior work is finished by October when the library will host the Mississippi Library Association’s annual conference. The conference, Cassagne said, typically brings the approximately 500 members of the association to Natchez for two to four days. The library will have an open house sometime during National Library Week on during the second week of April, Cassagne said, so local officials and residents can see the completed work.

Cassagne said she hopes people in the community will adopt a shutter or purchase a can of paint so Natchez visitors can see the community respect for the library once the repairs are complete.

“Often a library is the center of a community, and it makes a statement to visitors when they see the library in deplorable condition,” she said. “I want the exterior of the building to be representative of the respect the community feels for the library.”

Donors can fill out a form and drop off donations to adopt a shutter or buy paint at the library. Checks should be made payable to the Friends of the Library.