Russell W Peterson wrote:

> Frankly, it looks like the library didn't want to give on
> any of it's program AND wants the presentation of the
> building as a city statement as many others had wanted.  So
> they are asking for more from the people without
> demonstrating flexibility within their own needs.  This is
> the kind of bureaucracy that scares people - hold on to your
> pocket books. ;-)

Mr. Peterson is correct in the fact that the library didn't want to give on
its program.  The north block simply wasn't large enough to do everything
and something had to give.  The final alternatives for the north block all
required splitting Fiction from Literature.  First off, Fiction and
Literature is the mostly highly used collection on a per book basis in the
library.  Second, splitting Fiction from Literature meant that if you wanted
to read Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, you would find the novel on the first
floor but you would find the book explaining all those sixteenth century
words on the third floor.  Wendell Berry?  Wrote a novel (first floor),
short stories (first floor), unless the short stories are in a compelation
of short stories with other authors (third floor), essays (third floor), and
poetry (third floor).  This simply wasn't good for library patrons.  Other
alternatives were worse.  So, it is true that the Library Board didn't want
to give on its program but for very good reasons having to do with how
user-friendly the building will be.

Carol Becker
Longfellow

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