Bigfork Library Project nears $2 million raised, but spreadsheet error and overages add $400,000

Construction on the future Bigfork branch of ImagineIF Libraries will continue, but ImagineIF Library Foundation Director Sara Busse said the group is grappling with a $400,000 shortfall due to an accounting error and overages.

Busse said the campaign has otherwise had a great month, nearing $2 million raised of its overall $3.2 million goal. But walking through how to contend with the error — discovered earlier this month — has been tough. She said an “old number” inadvertently was carried over in an Excel spreadsheet.

Busse gave the update to the ImagineIF Library Board of Trustees at a Dec. 8 meeting. She said the foundation recently went through its first round of value engineering and were able to trim $50,000 in costs. Given the nature of the project, the group anticipated few other areas to cut from, she said.