The Library Board's scenarios are deliberately framed to show the trade-offs in library services, programs, and buildings. So it's great to see people recognizing those trade-offs.
I've held my tongue in public meetings on this, because I'm a board member of the Friends of the Library, and I feel free to tell Library Board members (almost) exactly what I think. BUT I'll say now what I said at the last Friends meeting last week. (These are my feelings, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Board of the Friends, who have not taken a stand collectively on any one scenario.) Option C is the best option because it allows for more flexibility in delivery of services. It preserves more of the budget for building the collection, i.e., buying books. It also allows for some of the creative options that have been developed, including building a new Roosevelt Library on 38th Street and 23rd Avenue South as part of a mixed use development. The main trouble with Option A is that libraries are equated with buildings only. To me, a library is more than a building; it is a collection (books and other resources) combined with services (reference help, bilingual education, citizenship for immigrants). I would be hard pressed, as an individualistic old liberal (to borrow a phrase from Christopher Isherwood), to keep all of the buildings open and cut all of the programs for those who truly need them. Keeping all of the buildings open might mean that some are open only ten hours a week. Keeping all of the buildings open means keeping them open only for those who can already read, already speak English, and already walk through the doors (and up the steps) unaided. <<David, consider the bait taken...>> Jim Berg Corcoran Neighborhood __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! http://sbc.yahoo.com TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
