I am somewhat mystified by some of the resistance to a new Greenfield Public Library. From the presentations made at recent meetings, we will be spending approximately the same amount of money to fix up our absolutely inadequate current library as we would be spending to build a state of the art new library.
And that’s assuming there is no lawsuit challenging how out of compliance our current library is. And since the state money will disappear, it means we will have our current, out of date, out of compliance library for decades to come. What sort of legacy is that to leave our children?
While I appreciate that Councilor Verne Sund says he wants to be careful with our money, I don’t agree with his conclusions. It’s going to cost the same either way. And if we vote down the library we are saying to many of our neighbors who can’t use our current library that we really don’t care about them. It’s not good enough to say to them they should simply try harder if they want to read a book, and that’s not the Greenfield I hope we are. We can do better.
Our budget will support building a library. If we want to attract families and business to the area we have to offer them something that compels them to live here. If we want to be a town that welcomes and values all of our citizens let’s show that through our actions. Let’s build the new library to say to families and businesses considering Greenfield that this is a welcoming and attractive place to live, to learn, and to grow.
Doug Selwyn
Greenfield