SOUTH DEERFIELD — As Tilton Library’s expansion project hit an unexpected hurdle with the elevator, its capital campaign got a boost from a local civic engagement group.

While it was originally slated for an August opening, the library’s new opening date has yet to be determined because of an issue with the arrival of the elevator, according to Deerfield Town Administrator Christopher Dunne. The town administrator, as well as Library Director Candace Bradbury-Carlin, said Deerfield will explore options for temporary occupancy without the elevator, as the rest of the project has steadily progressed and fencing around the building has come down.

“Due to issues with the original elevator ordered, [D.A. Sullivan & Sons Inc.] is looking at procuring a new elevator subcontractor for the building,” Dunne explained, “and the town is exploring options for temporary occupancy of the expanded library space in the meantime.”

Bradbury-Carlin added that opening without the elevator would be ideal and “we have some ideas for how we could do that, but we would have to get it approved.” She added the Tilton Library Building Committee will meet on Monday to discuss next steps and possibilities.

“We don’t really have a timeline yet and they’ll try to hopefully make some decisions then,” she said. “For all intents and purposes, it’s ready. So, we’re ready, except for the elevator.”

The latest donation to the capital campaign came on Monday afternoon, as more than a dozen members of the South Deerfield Women’s Club toured the expanded library and presented a $10,000 donation. Two quiet study rooms will be named in honor of the club when the library opens.

Denise Schwartz, a member of the club’s board of directors, said the donation follows a long history of civic engagement, including a previous donation toward the original construction of Tilton Library. In 1916, the Women’s Club raised more than $900, which was used to furnish the assembly room, kitchenette, other furniture and outside electrical lamps, according to Greenfield Recorder archives.

“We’re really happy because this is part of the South Deerfield Women’s Club’s legacy. … Now, 100 years later, we made a donation because all of us care about having a library that functions really well in our town,” Schwartz said. “We felt this was really important because of our commitment that was 100 years old.”

The library’s expansion will nearly triple its square footage from 4,366 to 12,784 square feet. Key improvements include expanded teen and children’s rooms, meeting and co-working spaces on the second floor, and a “nighttime suite” that will be accessible after normal library hours and feature meeting spaces, a small kitchen and bathrooms.

Northampton-based D.A. Sullivan & Sons Inc. is handling construction, having submitted a $10.99 million bid. The expansion is funded by nearly $5.79 million in town funds, a nearly $4 million Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners grant, $471,000 in state aid and a $100,000 reimbursement for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. A $2 million capital campaign from the library will cover the rest of the costs.

For more information about Tilton Library’s expansion project, including the capital campaign, visit tiltonlibrary.org.

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com.