Many communities take great pride in what their towns and surrounding areas have to offer in regard to public facilities.

One of the most noteworthy of these facilities is the public library, which nearly every town in America has in one form or another.

Libraries range from small, one-room buildings stuffed with books, periodicals and perhaps a few computers, to large, stately edifices that that are a focal point of the community.

In this latter category are the Ishpeming Carnegie Public Library and Peter White Public Library in Marquette, both of which have undergone major renovations in recent years.

There’s another local library which is about to have more of a presence in its town, with a ground-breaking held Monday for a new Forsyth Township Public Library in Gwinn.

The new library, which will be at 186 W. Flint St., will replace one that opened in a building purchased in 1975. The current library has about 1,800 square feet, with the new one set to offer a much roomier facility at about 4,200 square feet.

Formerly housing the township assessor’s office, the building will be renovated and hopefully completed by late January.

Some of the benefits of the larger facility will be off-street parking for patrons, more public computers, a community meeting room and an expanded children’s reading area.

A larger facility has been considered for more than a decade, according to library board President Donna Adams. She said it was realized in the early 2000s that the library had out-grown its space.

Several years ago the library received a sizable donation from Dr. James Goodman, which the library board established a building fund with. A significant contribution from the Cliffs and Eagle Mine Marquette County Community Fund and other public donations made the project a reality, Adams said.

Fundraising hasn’t ended, either, with an effort under way to raise money to furnish the building properly, she said. For more information on the effort, call Adams at 346-5235 or library director Pam Withrow at 346-3433.

The Gwinn library project is a prime example of how a community takes pride in itself and works together to improve the quality of life for its residents.