You may not be able to judge a book by its cover, but you can judge a library by its books.

So, when money for improved book collections is scarce it can begin to erode the very reason a library exists – to provide those materials people can’t afford to buy on their own, says Everett Public Library Director Mark Nesse.

“I have a very strong belief that books are the core of the library,” Nesse said.

That sound philosophy is behind the library’s new Collections for Excellence program to raise a whopping $1 million to elevate the level of book collections it offers library users. Specifically, the library is looking for 20 donors to give $50,000 – a sum that might have some people looking around wondering who has that kind of money to give. If past generosity for major projects in Everett is any indication, those people are out there, and hopefully they’ll come forward to make a difference for the thousands of people who use the library every year. Local businessman Peter Newland has already stepped up to be part of it.

Nesse wasn’t exaggerating when he told a Herald reporter “we can assure that it (the project) will continue to be vital forever.” The money will be set up in endowments with the Greater Everett Community Foundation so that it has the same purchasing power years from now that is has today. This smart move will allow the library to continue to update collections on various topics for years to come and provide readers with excellent quality books and periodicals.

And if sheer numbers are any indication, the library will have a lot to keep up with. In 2003, the circulation for all three facilities (the main branch, the Evergreen branch and the Bookmobile) was nearly one million, and registered borrowers at all facilities topped more than 45,000.

Almost all of the library’s current budget comes from city coffers. As the city tightens its belt, thanks to the economy and voter-approved initiatives, the money to expand beyond the basics likely won’t be available.

Everett has many sources of pride, Nesse said, and the Everett Public library is one of them. Its simple start in 1898 in the home of an Everett Women’s Book Club member following the Panic of 1893, when many investors backed out of the newly incorporated city, set the stage for the support it would receive throughout the decades. Now the library serves as the county’s source for local history, with revered local historians such as David Dilgard on staff.

Everett has another chance to support its library in a way that will last for generations to come. Just as its founders intended.