Why Don’t They Just ……………………?
Suggestions for library improvement have been flooding the local paper. For the most part, these are not new ideas. Past boards
have considered the possibilities for the past decade.
The idea of revising the appended garage and fair barn is not new but has issues.
A public building is required to solve
problems of floor level, fire walls, sprinkler systems, and heating. There are rules about firewalls and sprinkler systems. I believe a firewall is required when adding
a new structure to an old one. The difference in floor
elevation would have to be solved in order to be accessible.
Heating is a problem right now. During my time as Director, we had to replace
the furnace twice. The furnace is up on
stilts because it is constantly threatened by water. I mentioned the ‘60’s renovation cut a
basement that intersected an underground stream. Without constant pumping, there would be
about a foot of water in the basement at all times. The stream in the basement
problem is very complex. I am fairly
sure there is no easy fix to it.
Duct work was cut
into the slab that forms the floor of the 1980’s addition, but the architects
of the proposed 2009 addition added a utility room. I am sure a revision of the
two buildings would require an entirely new take on heating.
Providing staff for rooms that just continue in a straight
line is even more problematic than monitoring a separate building that can be
closed when not in use. It would create
a librarians’ nightmare.
“Fixing” the present building, especially when it comes to
roof modification would require tearing down and re-building. The nice view of the roof from ground level
is purely cosmetic.
Any good library is a destination within a community. It fits the definition of “A Great Good Place.” [i] Our library is that place. Unless it is to attend a scheduled meeting, how many people say “I think I will drop in at the Mescal Hornbeck Community Center while I am in town.”? Some might say they drop in at the Fire House, but they are members. Do you plan to drop in at the town clerk's office unless you are going to witness a meeting or pay your taxes? How many tourists drop by the police station to use the Wi-Fi during their visit to town?
I hope the library board will create a new library
space. Don’t give up. Community members who think the library board
is secretive should be ashamed of their oddly entitled attitude. Citizens can keep track of things and go to
the meetings. Meetings are announced. When I wanted to
understand the Fire Department, I actually went to their budget hearing. Have you gone to the budget hearings of the
Fire Department or library?
[i]
From Wikipedia: The third place
(also known as third space) is a term used in the concept of community building
to refer to social surroundings separate from the two usual social environments
of home and the workplace. In his influential book The Great
Good Place, Ray Oldenburg (1989,
1991) argues that third places are important for civil society, democracy, civic engagement, and establishing feelings of a sense of place.
Oldenburg calls one's "first
place" the home and those that one lives with. The "second
place" is the workplace — where people may actually spend most of their
time. Third places, then, are "anchors" of community life and
facilitate and foster broader, more creative interaction. All societies already
have informal meeting places; what is new in modern times is the intentionality
of seeking them out as vital to current societal needs. Oldenburg suggests the
following hallmarks of a true "third place":
- Free or inexpensive
- Food and drink, while not essential, are important
- Highly accessible: proximate for many (walking distance)
- Involve regulars – those who habitually congregate there
- Welcoming and comfortable
- Both new friends and old should be found there.
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