I had been waiting for Mary Beth Van Buer to call me for weeks.

Well, maybe not her specifically, but someone who was working to raise money for the DeKalb Public Library’s proposed expansion.

Library leaders were surprised around Christmas to learn they were eligible for an $8.5 million state construction grant, but they also need to raise the rest of the money for the project by June 30 to secure the money. From the beginning, library Director Dee Coover has said philanthropy would play an important role in the project.