NEW BERLIN – The New Berlin Library will soon be operating under its own power with the installation of 54 solar panels on the building’s roof.

“Everything is up, everything is installed and we’re just waiting for NYSEG (New York State Electric and Gas Corp.) to do a final connect,” said Librarian Darlene Labrie.

For the past year, the New Berlin Library has appealed to area citizens and was successful in raising more than $8,000 for the $83,000 project. The remainder of the sum was provided through state grants with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority providing nearly $53,000 and the New York State Construction Grant Program donating more than $30,000.

Labrie said the library wouldn’t have been able to complete the project without help from the state.

“We went to them for the $30,000-plus (construction grant) that we needed. After we started our solar project, it became a ‘green project,’ with updates to our hot water heater and inside lights,” she said.

NYSEG is scheduled to activate the panels by April 14.

The librarian said the “green project” had stirred a wide interest among local patrons and citizens who have come to the library to see the panels for themselves and to ask questions.

“There are an awful lot of patrons who come in and ask a lot of questions. People are interested. They want to try it themselves maybe, but they want to make sure it really works,” she said.

Labrie said it has been difficult in the last few months to keep books on the subject of solar panels and other environmental-friendly technologies available on the llibraries shelves.

“Books – they are all out all of the time because people have become so very interested in the technology. It’s been extremely popular. I’m even surprised. I knew there would be an interest, but not this much,” she said.