On Sept. 8, the Recorder printed a letter regarding the cost of the proposed new Greenfield Public Library. This letter had several issues that I would like to explore in this letter. But before I do, I would like to note that I am a homeowner who lives on a fixed income, pays property taxes and supports the library as a key to the continued viability of Greenfield.
I am chair of Greenfield Public Art and, therefore, among those you blame for the bicyclist sculpture downtown. First of all, it cost one third of the $30,000 claimed and also, it was not built with town funds. The sculpture was commissioned with funds from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and while the town did match those funds by providing lighting and a small amount of landscaping (some of which was done by volunteers), the total was far less than claimed in the letter. We are, however, pleased that the letter writer believes it is worth $30,000. It also demonstrates that he comes downtown. As part of our efforts are designed to bring people downtown to shop and enjoy events in Greenfield, knowledge of the sculpture demonstrates that it is doing its job.
By the way, we are also responsible for the painted parking meters and electrical boxes and the mural on the Davis Street side of the Greenfield Community College Downtown Center, most of which were painted by volunteers, young and old.
Now on to the library. I was fortunate to get a good education because when I was growing up, the library could provide me with everything that I was expected to find or learn for my school projects. Our present library struggles mightily to provide that for the many children who come there after school. For those who do not have computers at home or have limited access to the many computer programs now necessary to do research or make a project what it needs to be, the library is a lifeline. And, yes, many of those children spend several afternoons and some evenings there. No, they do not go once per year.
The number of visits to the library in a town of our size is a statement of need and the success the library has had in meeting those needs. I do not know whether the letter writer is employed, but anyone who is job searching today needs access to a computer, even if s/he owns a smartphone. Again, the library is vital to those job seekers who must fill out an application and upload a resume in their job hunt. Again, that usually involves more than one trip to the library.
A state of the art library is a measure of the quality of life of a town. When businesses locate in an area, they look for certain amenities that encourage their employees to move with the company or implies that there will be others in town who will become good employees. In addition to the needs of the business itself, employers look for good schools, good health care and, yes, a state-of-the-art library. I agree that there are some serious issues that must be considered in regard to the proposed public safety complex that may be needed before the library can be built. Overall, however, the effort to keep Greenfield a vibrant community takes the efforts of all of us and some of our tax money to make it happen.
I appreciate the concern expressed in the letter, but I believe we must look toward what we must do now to make Greenfield’s future vibrant and viable. So, yes, we do need that new library and, I, for one, support it fully.
Susan Worgaftik lives in
Greenfield and is a long-time
patron of its library.