Our current library, located at 15 N 'M' Street, is a beautiful building filled with 70 years of history.
The City plans on lowering costs at our Library by $191,513 by reducing hours of operation (40 to 30 hours a week) as well as staff. Instead of 7 full-time employees, the proposal is to have 1 employee with 4 volunteers. We started out as a volunteer library nearly 100 years ago and built our library at its present location in 1941.
Susan Stanton says, "It is my absolute belief and hope that not only will the Lake Worth Community respond to the staffing needs of the library but this effort will be the first step in energizing the community to begin thinking about a capital fund raising campaign for a new library which can truly meet the needs of the community." I think she means the elimination of staffing needs of the library and possibly the demolition and/or Annihilation of our facility and its history.
This has been the plan brewing in the background well before Stanton arrived to town. That is why the Lucerne has no windows on the East. Someone(s) wants that property for development. The City manager is an advocate of building/construction. That is how she grew Largo's tax base.
The other plan that has been tossed around is to eliminate our library altogether and force our residents to use the County facility on Summit Boulevard in West Palm Beach. This is just more dismantling of our City to the County, an inconvenience and insult to our residents, while our taxes go up. We are either going to remain a City or we are not.
There is so much history behind our library where books were read by candlelight, oil, and gasoline lamps for the first two years. Not one penny was given in any Grant from the federal government; the Pioneers raised the money themselves, not only for the books but for the building. Those who are a part of the Pioneer families are still proud of what their ancestors achieved and we all know and believe that our history is what sets us apart.
The City has dismantled our Museum and now wants to do the same with our public library. It says that our library is too small for the populous, demographics have changed, and has implied that our history is not worth preserving. The truth of the matter is that the Internet has changed the way in which people use the library--they are neglecting the traditional methods of research, using a public library, as most have home computers. Schools today also have libraries for research. However, people still want to read hard-copy books and want their own city library. The population has grown in 70 years but the uses of our library have changed to counter-act the population growth.
My Mother visited our local library every day for 40 years until she got too sick. She was a voracious reader and a former librarian. Everyone knew her and those who worked there became friends. I always remember her telling me how much she loved the Lake Worth Library.
We, who have been a part of the history of Lake Worth and who have lived here for many years, as well as thousands of newcomers, see the value in preserving our library that grew from the people. We do not want to lose a part of ourselves, part of history. We all cherish it as did my Mom. We want it in its present location and used as a library, nothing more and nothing less.
15 comments:
I appreciate your assessment. You might want to check, but I have heard from multiple reliable sources that our library was a recipient of one of the first Carnegie library grants - which is significant in and of itself. That is what funded part of the original construction.
I checked my source before I wrote it in the book, Lake Worth, the Jewel of the Goldcoast, on page 211 it states: The Library Board came very close to obtaining Federal funds but a bill passed by both House and Senate, was vetoed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Lynn, Why doesn`t the City move the Mueseum into part of the Library. That might draw more people into the Library once they see how nice it is filled with LW history.
It's really sad that the people in charge are so short sighted.The library is a big draw to the downtown.It is a huge part of our history. I hope that the bldg is protected.
The city is trying to say that there is not enough room in the present building and therefore they want to build a new one somewhere. Perhaps money will grow on trees. Perhaps no one cares about our history.
The library building is old and is way too small for a modern library. We need a library with space to do so much more. The problem is we are so afraid of losing our city's identity that we want to hold on to things and buildings even if it means that they are no longer useful. It's a sad but true fact that this city is little by little losing everything that once made it a real city and as a result I support maintaining all the buildings that are part of our history. Move the library if you want but maintain our historical buildings no matter what.
Expand to the south. Close off the alley on the south side, if there are no underground utilities and buy those buildings, The old Burkhardt Bldg. on Lake Avenue and widen the front of the Library in the same style it is now. Close off the street infront of the Library and turn that into a Park like area.Buy and demo the old Dr. Brantly building and turn that into more parking area and landscape it with trees and scrubs.In that new Bldg.there also would be room for the History Museum.
I wouldn't be surprised if the library's interior could be redesigned to accommodate much more. With a good designer, anything is possible. I believe that this library can function better and should stay as "our" library. We will never know unless a study is done. If it is determined that it is insufficient, then it could stay as a children's library once we built a new facility down the road and well into the future when we have some $$$)...Jeff Clemens' dream, a governmental complex west of city hall.
Actually, I like that idea above. I was writing while it came in.
Your reasoning makes no sense at all?? The reason not as many people use the Lake Worth Library is not because of the internet per say, It is because that current library does not have the ability to offer many of the facets a modern library should. Go a few miles west and see the Greenacres Library, a similar demographic lives in the area, their circulation and visitation county is quadruple Lake Worth, simply because they offer "Library 2.0" services, more computers, more classes, modern collections, links to more online resources via library card, better integration, qualified staff.
Also, if Lake Worth were to ever give the library to the county look at Belle Glade, Pahokee (and even south bay), all three areas have gorgeous libraries (who also have more hours, more qualified staff, and modern facilities) than they did when the cities operated them. Little local identity has been lost. In fact, with Belle Glade's new library, they got a new Civic Center out of the deal attached to it that they city could never have sustained without the County's assistance. State recommendations would still mandate a Library should operate in Lake Worth, so even if the county took over, Lake Worth would still have a library in some form, people would not be forced to go to Summit.
There are many of us here in Lake Worth who are not in the least bit interested in giving anything more to the county. We want to preserve our history. Our city is build-out and this library still suits our needs other than the people wanting to complain because they want that valuable land and/or want to outsource everything to PBCounty.
I posted the comment about sending the library to the county above. I hear you Lynn, yes I agree history should be preserved, but not at the cost of having a public library that offers a pitiful sub par service simply just to keep the status quo so the City of Lake Worth Logo sits on it. That library would be so better off apart of the County Library System. I am a librarian here in Palm Beach County and you just dont understand what a disadvantage your town is at letting the city run that library into the ground.
Yes the building is nice and has a unique history, but its simply too small for the population it serves and underfunded for even what it is and thats just unfair for you guys at citizens. Tourist use your library as well and having an old/outdated facility is not a good reflection on you all.
Residents here WANT to keep our library. They have the option of going to the county if they choose. This library is a dear part of our history and what a beautiful building it is! I agree, it is a shame that is is severely underfunded by our city---they have too many other priorities it seems like union retirement benefits.
I would be curious what an actual study would show whether residents would want a county library or continue operation of that facility. I am sure there is a group of you that want that as it is, but its not practical an I think others might think otherwise. Vicky the director I have met several times and she has her hands full with that place and I know she tries hard. Do they even still have those 7 full time employees? What was the result of what you mentioned in this posting?
Are you talking about maintaining the historic facility and just have the County take it over or are you advocating something else entirely?
I agree, the city staff does not believe in our library in the same way we residents do as it costs money, something they don't have. We know how important it is. This is a great bunch that runs and operates our library.
Right now we have 4 full-time employees, 2 part-time, 2 adult volunteers, 2 student volunteers.
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