VIDALIA — Concordia Parish voters will head to the polls today to vote on the renewal of the 10-year, 8.5-mil library tax.

Without that millage, which provides approximately 93 percent of the library’s funding, the three branches of the library would only be able to continue to operate for another seven or eight months, Head Librarian for the Concordia Parish Library Amanda Taylor said.

That would mean that Vidalia resident Peggy Moncrief, who was searching for a Billy Graham book about angels at the Vidalia branch of the library Friday, just wouldn’t be able to read as many books if library was closed.

“I usually use the library about twice a month,” Moncrief said. “I used to buy books, but now I’m on a reduced income, and books are fairly expensive.”

While the library receives some grants and personal donations, those monies are only enough to fund the extra community events — such as concerts — the library hosts, Taylor said.

Though Taylor is confident the millage will pass, she is afraid that there will be a low voter turnout.

“People are not used to — on the hot summer days of July — going to the polls,” Taylor said.

So far, 96 in-person early votes have been cast in the election and 35 mail-in votes have been cast, Concordia Parish Registrar of Voters Golda Ensminger said.

“That is about normal for a proposition election,” Ensminger said.

Future plans for the library include renovating two rooms at the old Vidalia courthouse for library use, changing the library’s automated system to a Web-based application and updating the Clayton branch of the library, Taylor said.

Voting hours are from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. at local voting precincts.