MATTERS AT HAND: A new library would help complete flood recovery
February 12, 2011 at 4:32 pm in Grand Forks Herald
OUR VIEW: Momentum seems to have shifted. It now seems unlikely that a tax to support the new library will be approved at an election, now set for early May.
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Mike, the only reason you seem to have for the “destruction” of the current structure is the need for a larger “community center”. Does the incredibly expensive destruction and reconstruction of the current library need to be the only way to accomplish what you propose ?
Your comments regarding of the need for a community center are compelling, but your lack of consideration for the cost and the burden to low income taxpayers is wanton. A “community center” could be part of the debate, but it needs to be front and center, not a footnote. An addition or even a separate structure could be the answer to this requirement. Your arguments seem to only reinforce my reasons for an addition being the best approach.
It is wasteful to demolish the existing structure because it lacks an adequate community room. I wouldn’t demolish by house because I need a sun-room.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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It is amazing what city opinion makers think we need. First we needed a dog park, then we needed a fitness center, and now we need a library. Don’t you remember when your parents taught you about needs and wants?
Hot debate. What do you think?
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I moved to Grand Forks 6 years ago, from a small town of about 5,000 people. One of the very first places (after the grocery store) that I set out to find here was the library. Honestly? I was a bit disappointed. Not with the number or selection of books, DVD’s, computer lab, etc, but with the grungy atmosphere, crowded aisles, and dark environment. My hometown library is bright, sunny and inviting. It also has a community room by the entrance, where people can hold meetings and the library could hold it’s annual book sale (rather than awkwardly having books for sale in the middle of the floor). The children’s section, conveniently located near the door, is surrounded by huge windows.
Another advantage of having a quality library building is the shortage of bookstores in town. Having a warm, welcoming place for people to sit with coffee and curl up in a comfortable chair with a good book is a huge draw; without a Barnes & Noble or similar store, there currently isn’t a good location to do that.
I would support a sales tax increase to support a new library, especially the lower one that would be barely noticeable to the average shopper. I definitely utilize the library we currently have, but would be far more excited about visiting & hanging out at a more modern, cheery building.
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How many days have you volunteered there to help fix the problems you noted??? Thats what i thought. Its easier to toss other peoples money towards projects that only benefit a few.
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Conflict of interest noted: Jacob’s admitted, “After the Flood of 1997, we created a community room in the area where our press once stood. Demand for this space is constant, even though the room is far from ideal. The acoustics aren’t good, and there’s little parking. The room often isn’t available because we don’t have staff to prepare for meetings or to clean up after them. For these reasons, we actually discourage use of our community room.”
Conflict of interest aside, I think Grand Forks should contribute some of its existing sales tax revenue to the Herald to help clean the community room and improve the acoustics. Problem solved.
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Take a tip from the business community–the reason the bookstores have closed and there are none is because everything is going electronic. There is no longer a need for books. They are antiques. It makes no sense to spend millions and millions of dollars on BOOK STORAGE! There is no longer a need to pay librarian wages and benefits. They are obsolete. We need to change with the times!!
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George, your ideas are not only unrealistic, and uninformed they are ridiculous. So, I will explain this again. The book stores are dealing with the big discount stores selling books at a discount price way below the cover price. Books stores are having a hard time dealing with that. Also, Barnes and Nobel bought out B.Dalton and closed ALL their stores to regroup. And lastely, Ferguson books is doing VERY well in town. If you are going to make outlandish comments, that are way off the grid of reality at least try and get the information right. By the way, a good place to do research is your local library. Oh wait, you hate that place.
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or the internet…. i have that at home and it doesnt cost you a dime for me to use.
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Yeah it’s outlandish. Have you ever heard of a Kindle? Books are not going to be a part of the future.
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By your logic JW my business should close too. I can’t sell any of my products at list(cover) price but my business is doing well! It’s obvious that the printed book industry is in trouble. If the bookstore can’t support UND will all the students books and the faculity then that should say enough not to mention across the country. I have no problem paying for a library that I doubt I will ever use but I want it within reason. I don’t by a Cadillac on a Hyundai budget!
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It’s obvious that you have a skewed and narrow view of things, but yet it is what you prefer because it matches you opinions. You don’t want a new library, so you make up some fictional scenario claiming that books are becoming obsolete. You have no proof, but hey keep making things up if that makes you happy. Books are not becoming obsolete. If anything the fact that we now have one book store makes the library that much more popular for those who want to read. Yes, people read books with pages and everything! You only think they don’t, and that is fine….just keep thinking that way. Oh, my information about the book stores I actually got from READING about it.
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Narrowed mind? Now that’s the kettle calling the pot.. anyway how’s this for stats Borders’ filled for bankrupty. Sure there are people reading books with pages I never said that they weren’t but hey if you want to make stuff up about what I said that’s on you. There are people that still listen to music on vinyl too but how many albums get produced that way? Things change JW, your narrow mind is going to have to accept it.
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More stats, July 2010 Amazon annouces every 143 ebooks sold for every hardcopy. Oh my information can from READING too. Do alittle more research and stop making stuff up.
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Sorry 143 for every 100 hardcopy sold. Didn’t proof my response!
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Borders files bankrupcy, is technology the cause of this?
Continue reading on Examiner.com: Borders files bankrupcy, is technology the cause of this? – Detroit Gadgets | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/gadgets-in-detroit/borders-files-bankrupcy-is-technology-the-cause-of-this#ixzz1EKYjLeBA
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Yellow Pages Faces Another Ban
In San Francisco, Board of Supervisors president David Chu is leading the push to ban the books, which he says are wasteful and becoming obsolete.
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2011/02/02/yellow-pages-faces-another-ban/
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You would think the lefties would be all for new technologies which make books obsolete. Imagine how many of those books were former trees.
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Didnt i just “Read” on the internet at my house…. That several schools are trading in their books for kindles because its so much easier for the kids to have all access at their fingertips as opposed to carrying several books from class to class? Yep, i’d say the future looks bleak for books. Welcome to the year 2011!!!!
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Also JW if you read what I wrote I said I am willing to pay for a library. I just want it to be what is needed not what is wanted.
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Perhaps if the citizens of GF want a library it should be paid for entirely by the citizens of GF not by people merely shopping here. Of course that would mean a tax increase and nobody will mention that because we have become of society of “we want it all but we don’t want to pay for it.” We want a police on the streets, firemen on call, roads that don’t have canyons in them, bridges that stand, an electrical grid that functions, good education for our children, wage 2 wars, and lastly darn it we want a library but we don’t want to raise taxes to pay for any of it. We have no problem raising other people’s taxes or borrowing from our grandchildren’s future but us sacrifice one dime…no way!
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perhaps if the 20 people who actually want a library paid for the library it would be fine. I live in Grand Forks and couldnt care less about a new library.
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The only ebooks that I buy are novels. My books on birds, trees, flowers, guns, cars, etc…I like a hard copy, something I can hold in my hand. My field guides get taken with us whenever we go for a drive, usually to a state park or nat’l wildlife area. These are books that I buy and do not borrow from the library. But this is only my opinion.
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