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            The Kodiak Public Library Association is full of the holiday spirit thanks to a Secret Santa. KPLA's Leslie Leyland Fields says an anonymous $150,000 donation was made last week in honor of a "book-loving family."

--          (Donation 1                 :10                   "We were just blown out of the water. We were just overwhelmed. There were many, many tears when the announcement was made.")

            The donation is encouraging to KPLA, which is only a few weeks into their efforts to raise $750,000 for  the new library. Leyland Fields says the organization's goal is to have half of that money raised by March and then hopefully they will qualify for a grant that could make up for the rest.

--          (Donation 2                 :24                   "Once the community demonstrates its support in that tangible way. ‘Yes, we are investing our own money into this facility,' then the foundation says, ‘Okay, alright, we see Kodiak is really behind you and now we will consider bumping you up here."

            Leyland Fields is optimistic that KPLA will meet their goal.

--          (Donation 3                 :19                   "Asking for money is not always an easy thing, but it is an easy thing in this case because the library is such an amazing project and it's so far along and there's so much good and so much success that has already happened with the library. ")

            And just like the location of the real Santa Claus' workshop, Leyland Fields says the identity of the donor family is top secret.       

--          (Donation 4                 :10                   "There's only one or two people who know and the rest of us are just sending out great thanks and appreciation to whoever they are.")

            KPLA says construction of the new library could begin as early as next year.

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