A letter published last week raises two interesting questions about the planned renovation of the Great Neck Library.
One is about the cost and the other is about the advisability of investing in a library when so many books are being read on electronic media. These are not new ideas.
The very complex calculations presented in this letter based on incomplete and erroneous assumptions (let’s not debate each one), comes to the conclusion that the renovation will cost each adult cardholder $1,300. To put this into a different context, that was the calculated cost over the next 20 years.
On an annual basis, this is $65/year or $1.25/week. It doesn’t sound so unreasonable, does it?
The same issue that ran this letter also carried a listing of the library programs for this week in March. These programs included story hours at all fur library locations, craft programs coordinated with favorite books, computer help
and senior computer help at multiple locations, music recitals, art exhibits, films, staff-led book discussions at multiple locations, and a special dramatic presentation sponsored by the Brandeis National Meeting.
This is a typical week.
These programs enrich hundreds of library patrons from tots to seniors. Library patrons are our friends, our neighbors and ourselves. Perhaps they/we do own Kindles, perhaps not. We come to the library not only to get reading material for free, but to meet our friends and to be enriched. The library is a magnet for people with active minds, and we deserve a library that is ADA-compliant, has dependable heating and cooling systems, and is an attractive place to visit.
To me, that’s worth $1.25 a week.
Naomi Feldheim
Great Neck
