LETTERS: Make Cranbury Library a priority

[Guest]

I think everyone appreciates that a dedicated public library could serve the community in a variety of ways. The issue is whether that is economically justifiable in a community with less than 2,000 tax paying households. As it stands, the Township has cleverly saved the Township money by requiring both the public library and school library to compromise to share facilities and save costs.

Personally I support the effort to raise private donations for the stand alone library. If there is enough community interest in it, they should be able to fund the acquisition and/or construction this way. If there is not enough support for it through charity, then forcing the full burden on a very small group of taxpayers was not fair to begin with. Once they do the existing state rules on minimum tax funding for the library should cover the operating costs (which is why they have a large surplus right now).

[Library User]

The library receives over $600,000 annually from tax payers.

We are expected to spend even more tax dollars for a new building?

Is $600,000 a year not enough?

[Guest]

[Guest]

[Guest]

When your children were pre-schooler, we did not have the separated space during the school day. At that time, you were free to go into the children's area. That is often not the case now.

[Guest]

[Guest]

[Guest]

So the library used to have more limited hours.

[Guest]

The publc library used to open at noon...school was in session.
And the town used to be smaller than it is now...and the school was smaller.

[GrumpyOldLibraryMan]

[Guest]

Wow - you really are a grumpy old man!

[LoveFunny]

[GK]

As much as I'd like to see a new, freestanding library in town, I worry about its cost. Even if a new library were mostly paid for by private financing, the town's operating costs would almost certainly escalate in a new facility. After all, a larger facility means more books and media, more equipment, more staff, etc.

One thing that I have not seen mentioned much in this discussion is reciprocity of privileges in other area libraries. For instance, Cranbury residents have full borrowing rights (books, media, etc.) in the Monroe Township library. For those who may not be aware, Monroe's library recently underwent a significant expansion. It's a beautiful facility (with a wholly separate kids section), has a strong collection of resources, and it's only about 10 minutes from Main Street. Don't get me wrong, I'm jealous that Cranbury doesn't have a library of that stature, but I am not jealous of the debt Monroe accrued to build and expand it.

It probably behooves us to also look at the services offered by our own library. In the age of the web, Netflix and the Kindle, the role of a library is different, certainly, than it was even 20 years ago. Book borrowing is perhaps not its most essential service. Thus, before we demand a new library, perhaps it would be a more fruitful exercise to set forth the requirements of what we as a town would like from our library. We could then compare those findings to what is offered by our current facility, and then determine -- as a community -- how to evolve our library to meet those needs. While such an exercise may or may not lead to a new building, I am certain it would lead to a library experience that more of us would be satisfied with.

[Guest]

The Cranbury Public Library Board meetings are public. I think there is one this Thursday.