The Mt Laurel community is about halfway to its goal of building a permanent public library and will be receiving help this weekend from local band Act of Congress.

The band will play a benefit concert 4 p.m. Sunday Aug. 29 at Mt Laurel’s Turtle Back Park hosted by the Friends of the Mt Laurel Public Library.

Tickets are $15 and all funds will go toward the library’s building fund.

“Funds will help build our library, but it’s also just going to be a great afternoon of music and family,” said Ann Price, vice chairman of the Friends of the Mt Laurel Public Library.

Price said the band’s acoustic blend of bluegrass, rock and jazz will appeal to all ages. The band most recently performed with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and the Huntsville Youth Symphony.

The organization received help from the community in order to make the concert possible, Price said.

“We’re very fortunate to have three sponsors, Coca-Cola, Hoover Toyota and the Chelsea Wal-Mart,” she said, “They’re paying all the expenses for the concert, so ticket sales can go straight to the library fund.”

On April 10 the library opened its temporary location at 33 Olmstead Street, donated from EBSCO for two years.

The organization needs to raise $250,000 to build the permanent location and are about halfway to meeting that goal, Price said.

The popularity of the temporary location shows the community wants and needs a library, Price said.

“We were swamped with young people for story time and our summer reading program,” she said. “We also have a Mt Laurel book club that meets there.”

The library will serve all of Dunnavant Valley and will operate as a branch of the North Shelby Library.

The permanent location will be located on Olmstead Street between Mt Laurel Grocery and Double Oak Community Church, Price said.

“It will provide all types of services,” she said. “Library services, education services as well as a meeting place and venue for the community.”

The library’s booth will be on display at the concert, showcasing the architect’s rendering of the proposed library building. Attendees can also purchase a commemorative brick at the booth that will be placed in the library’s courtyard.

Tickets for the concert are on sale at the Mt Laurel Sales Office, Main Street Florist and Simplicity. Children 12 and under get in free. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own chairs or blankets. In the event of rain, the concert will be held at Double Oak Community Church. For more information, call 205-981-9772 or visit Mtlaurellibrary.org.