A new Reddick Library could be erected on the Jordan block.
So began Times reporter Dan Churney's story last week on a library board finance committee meeting at which more than a dozen possible locations for a new library surfaced. And despite all practical alternatives, it's easy to see why the Jordan Block suggestion rose to the top.
The land itself is a virtual blank slate, allowing for custom design of the entire facility to meet the most modern standards. The location is not only central for the entire community, but also prominent. A library at such a key location would be a boon to the downtown district and also a centerpiece for the city. Yes, the open space has been beneficial since some of the buildings once there were destroyed by fire, but a grand and glorious public building there would be some sort of living monument to city leaders of the early 21st century.
However, it's also easy to see how such a plan would struggle to gain the necessary public approval to warrant moving forward. The library is, after all, funded by tax dollars. That means the choices about its future should be made with financial prudence in mind. If converting space in one of the empty big-box stores in town makes more sense, that's the right call. It wouldn't be near as pretty, but there's no ordinance stipulating a library be the crown jewel of the community.
Furthermore, there seems to be no rush of agreement with the library's goal of increasing its size by 65 percent. The current structure is only 38 years old. While technology has changed many aspects of the library world the last four decades, it seems the evolution is far more rapid at present.
Evidence has been printed in these very pages in the last few days alone, as schools look to adopt iPad technology into the classroom —thus reducing reliance on traditional textbooks — and school boards are looking at doing away with printed materials for meetings in order to save money on paper and the time of employees who must produce the packets of information.
Reddick staff members, to their credit, seemingly have been willing to embrace technology. The library offers e-books and audio books and personal instructions on how to use them, with similar service for patrons who have invested in one of the newer e-reader devices such as the Amazon Kindle or Barnes & Noble Nook.
I'm in no rush to bury the brick-and-mortar library or the paper-and-ink book. (This may not be too surprising coming from someone who still writes for a traditional newspaper.) I'm just wondering if now is the exact right time to be considering a massive expenditure of public funds on physical upgrades when it might not be 10 full years before full-scale buyer's remorse sets in.
Continue reading "New library a pretty hard sell."
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